Once again, the Renewable Fuels Association has received grants to extend its award-winning ethanol safety training programs into 2025. The new round of grants brings the total funds received by RFA for safety training to more than $1 million since 2010.
The grants for 2025 include:
- $15,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration for three seminars and four webinars;
- a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Community Safety Grant for $25,000 to design an interactive online training course; and
- a PHMSA ALERT Grant of more than $40,000 for training in partnership with the Industrial Steel Drum Institute, to cover two multi-day seminars and four webinars.
“Safety is a priority for RFA and the renewable fuels industry, and it is our mission to provide the best resources available to ethanol plant personnel and the emergency response community,” said Missy Ruff, RFA’s director of safety and technical programs. “Our goal is to ensure a safe environment for our nation’s ethanol facilities and the communities where they operate. We’re grateful for the support these grants provide to ensure emergency responders have the resources they need to properly respond to any ethanol emergencies. We simply wouldn’t be able to provide these safety resources and training without the generous support of FRA and PHMSA.”
The grants were awarded in collaboration with TRANSCAER, a national initiative focused on helping communities prepare for and respond to possible hazardous material transportation incidents.
“The grant funding will empower the Renewable Fuels Association to host additional ethanol emergency response seminars and webinars making training even more accessible to communities and responders across the country,” said Erica Bernstein Fischer, TRANSCAER director. “By enhancing our digital education capabilities through the grant, RFA and TRANSCAER can continue to deliver awareness-level training to those who need it most. Together, we are advancing our shared mission of preparing communities and first responders for hazmat transportation incidents.”
Since its inception in 2010, RFA’s safety program has received multiple national awards and has been responsible for training over 17,000 individuals and conducting over 420 training sessions and events. RFA has trained individuals from all 50 U.S. states and 41 other countries. For more information on RFA’s industry-leading work in this area, visit the Ethanol Emergency Response website.
