Program Local Awareness and Responsibility in Chemical Safety and Security was initiated by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ), International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security in Warsaw (ICCSS), authorities of the city of Tarnow and State Fire Service. The program is a response to the growing chemical and ecological threats related to increasing production, transportation and the use of chemicals and hazardous materials.

The leading assumption of the program is that the traditional emergency response is not sufficient to meet the challenges posed by failures or disasters, whether natural or caused by human activity.

Meeting the potential risks associated with the activities in the field of hazardous substances requires the cooperation of all stakeholders (community involvement), including the government, private sector and industry, civil society organizations and the media in preventing and preparing to meet the potential threats.

The program is aimed at creating and implementing local policies of sustainable development within the broadly understood category of chemical activity: handling of chemicals and waste management, planning and responding to risks associated with the chemical activity and the transportation of hazardous materials.

As the foundation of this initiative the training program, exchange of experiences and promotion of the awareness in preventing and responding to chemical and environmental hazards will be developed.

During the conference, Dr. A.Jagusiewicz- Chief Inspector of the Environmental Protection and the chairman of the conference that inaugurated the program Local Awareness and Responsibility in the Chemical Safety and Security, stressed the importance of promoting the culture of chemical safety and security at the local level, the significance of creating platforms of cooperation between the local communities and the local authorities in the exchange of information on the status of the environmental threats, and the need to actively institute local safety and security, important elements of which are chemical and ecological safety.

General W.Leśniakiewicz - Chief Commander of the polish State Fire Service confirmed active involvement of the Fire Service in the implementation of this program. He pointed out the need to increase knowledge and awareness of local authorities and communities in the areas of storage and transportation of hazardous materials.

Mieczysław Borowski, president of the Office of Technical Inspection has highlighted a fundamental need for a better securitisation of chemical production in small and medium-sized enterprises operating at the local level.

Mr. Tadeusz Chomicki, Polish ambassador to China, via teleconference, stressed the importance that the Chinese authorities attach to mitigating the risks associated with rapidly growing chemical production and fast expanding access to chemicals in China. He reported a strong interest of our Chinese partners in the Local Responsibility Program and informed about the seminar on this topic to be conducted in Beijing at the beginning of 2015.

Ms. Amy Graydon, director of the Office of Infrastructure Protection in the US Department of Homeland Security, provided full support and willingness of our American partners to actively participate in the development Local Responsibility program. She handed down the US experience in the area of forming awareness and chemical safety at the local level. She also declared the assistance of the US Department of Homeland Security in the development of the program.

Amb. Krzysztof Paturej, president of the International Center for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) presented the program’s development work and its support from the state authorities, industry, research centers and local governments. He noted that the implementation of the program has an international dimension and steps have been taken towards integrating the program in chemical safety and security projects implemented by ICCSS in Kenya, Ukraine and China. He also stressed that an important objective of the program is to create a national and international database of experts and ICCSS advisers on chemical safety and security.

Dr. Dariusz Gołębiewski, the leader of the risk assessment team at PZU SA, assured the support of the polish largest insurance company for the idea of the program and presented the role and function of PZU in ensuring industrial safety.

Mr. Paweł Dadasiewicz from the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection presented the fundamental tasks of the Inspectorate of Environmental Protection and the actions of CIEP in preventing major accidents.

In a letter from Tarnow authorities to the conference participants the support for the development of the program and the willingness to embrace unique competencies and experience of Tarnow resulting from the presence of nitrogen plants in the city was declared.

The Conference adopted the programs’ assumptions and the framework of the training program, which will be the base for the courses in the field of chemical safety and security and is addressed to all the stakeholders at the local level.

The conference participants confirmed that the development of the program has serious international perspectives, and its promotion in the international arena will strengthen the image of Poland and open up the possibilities for economic and R&D cooperation.

International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) in Warsaw will serve as program’s coordinator and the organizer of the training program. ICCSS will establish contacts and cooperation with stakeholders in the area of the programs’ training activities.