ST. LOUIS - The Spill of National Significance 2007 (SONS 07) emergency response exercise  will be announced at a kickoff event in St. Louis Tuesday morning.  The exercise is designed to increase the preparedness of the entire response organization from the local field level to agency heads in Washington, D.C. 

The exercise will take place June 19-21, starting with the simulation of an earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, with the focus on oil and hazardous material response.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard are the lead agencies with support from a host of other federal, state, local and private industry players.

What:              Spill of National Significance (SONS) 07 Kickoff event

                        Media conference and tour of U.S. EPA mobile command post

When:             Tuesday, June 19, 10 a.m.

Who:               Scott Hayes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

                        Capt. Sharon Richey, U.S. Coast Guard

                        Larry Archer, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Where:            U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Command

                        Foot of Arsenal Street (on the Mississippi River)

                        St. Louis, Mo.

Attendance:   If attending please contact CWO Gale Howerton at

                        314-269-2575 to have your name added to the

                        security guard's attendance list.

Directions:    

From Lambert International and North: On I-70 E through downtown; turns into I-55 S (do NOT follow I-70 to Illinois). Continue on I-55 S and exit at Arsenal St. (exit 206C in front of Anheuser-Busch). Turn left on Arsenal & follow Directions from Brewery below.

From East: Take I-64 W or I-55/70 W across Poplar St. Bridge and exit onto I-55 S (2^nd lane from right). Follow I-55 S (left 2 lanes) through I-44 split and exit at Arsenal St. (exit 206C in front of Anheuser-Busch). Turn left on Arsenal & follow Directions from Brewery below.

From South: Take I-55 N to Arsenal St. (exit 206C in front of Anheuser-Busch). Turn right on Arsenal & follow Directions from Brewery below.

From West: On I-64E/US-40: Exit 64/40 at Jefferson Ave. (exit 38C). Turn Right on Jefferson and follow it to I-44 (overpass). Turn left onto I-44 W and follow directions for I-44 W. From I-44 W: Follow I-44 W to end. Take right exit to I-55 S. Stay in right lane and take first exit (Arsenal St. exit 206C). Turn left on Arsenal & follow Directions from Brewery below.

Directions from Brewery: Take Arsenal St. through brewery and across Broadway (last stop light) to stop sign. Continue straight on what looks like an alley (stone wall on right) until you cross several sets of RR tracks. Enter Army Corps of Engineers Service Base on right. Guard will direct you to CG Industrial facility.

NOTE: After the event, reporters will have an opportunity to view on-water equipment deployment on the Mississippi River near Hartford, Ill.

From Downtown St. Louis: Take I-70 W from just north of the Arch exit (Adelaide Ave). Go east over the bridge to Hall St. Turn left on Hall St., heading north. Take Hall St. and bear right to Riverview Dr., heading north. Pick up I-270 at end of the Waterworks Treatment facility. Take I-270 E across river. Turn left on IL-3 toward Alton. Lewis and Clark Recreation Area will appear on the left along the river before you enter the town of Hartford.

Get more information about SONS 07at www.sons-program.org

###