A chemical emergency can set several things in motion at once: securing a facility, responding to a hazardous materials release, evacuating people, and communicating with the public. A response takes more than having the right procedures in place. It also depends on companies, emergency responders, and government agencies being ready to work together.
That shared responsibility was at the heart of the West Virginia Chemical Sector Tabletop Exercise, hosted by Brenntag Mid-South, Inc., the Kanawha-Putnam County Emergency Planning Committee (KPCEPC), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in Nitro, West Virginia. ACC sponsored the exercise, bringing industry and government partners together to review crisis scenarios and discuss how they would respond to a potential chemical-sector incident.
The exercise examined procedures for intelligence and information sharing, emergency response, and recovery following a simulated freight train derailment and chemical spill. Participants worked through issues related to physical security, hazardous materials response, evacuation, public communications, and business continuity, while considering how decisions made in one phase can affect what comes next.
Information shared early can shape response efforts. Decisions made during an emergency can influence recovery and continuity long afterward. Working through these connections helps organizations better understand their roles, identify potential gaps, and strengthen preparedness before an incident occurs.
ACC is proud to support this work and the people behind it. We thank CISA, Brenntag Mid-South, Inc., KPCEPC, the Nitro Fire Department, and all participating federal, state, local, and industry partners for contributing their time and expertise.
While no exercise can predict every challenge, opportunities like this help organizations test plans, strengthen working relationships, and build familiarity with the decisions that may be required during a real-world emergency. That preparation helps support a safer, more resilient chemical sector and the communities it serves.