U.S. EPA's Response Protocol Toolbox.

U.S. EPA is making available its interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems. The Response Protocol Toolbox is designed to help the water sector effectively and appropriately respond to intentional contamination threats and incidents. U.S. EPA produced it by building on the experience and expertise of several drinking-water utilities--in particular, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Organized in modular format, the Response Protocol Toolbox will be of value to drinking-water utilities, laboratories, emergency responders, state drinking-water programs, technical-assistance providers, and public health and law enforcement officials. This draft release includes modules 1 through 4, as well as an overview. Users are encouraged to review the brief overview before using other modules. Module 5 and Module 6 will be included in the final release, due in spring 2004. The titles of the modules are as follows:

* Overview of the Response Protocol Toolbox (EPA-817-D-03-007),

* Water Utility Planning Guide--Module 1 (EPA-817-D-03-001),

* Contamination Threat Management Guide--Module 2 (EPA-817-D-03-002),

* Site Characterization and Sampling Guide--Module 3 (EPA-817-D-03-003),

* Analytical Guide--Module 4 (EPA-817-D-03-004),

* Public Health Response Guide--Module 5 (EPA-817-D-03-005) (under development), and

* Remediation and Recovery Guide--Module 6 (EPA-817-D-03-006) (under development).

The Response Protocol Toolbox modules can be found in electronic PDF format on the U.S. EPA Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/security under "Emergency Response Tools." Printed copies, in limited quantity, can be obtained from the Water Resource Center by phone at [phone] or [phone]; by fax at [phone]; or by e-mail at [e-mail].