Technical basis for chemical stockpile emergency planning

As part of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, an Accident Planning Base Review Group (APBRG) was convened in December 1992. The APBRG`s mission was to update the accident basis for protective action strategy planning in the vicinity of eight US chemical agent stockpile sites. The results of the APBRG`s work are being issued as site-specific Emergency Planning Guides (EPGs). The EPGs give emergency planners--Army, State, and local--updated assessment of the chemical hazard and guidance on how to plan for a broad range of accidents by planning for a manageable number of accident categories. This paper addresses: (1) the rationale for updating the accident planning base; (2) the modeling methodology used to assess the chemical hazard; and (3) strategies that are advocated in the EPGs for the use of models by planners.