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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF JAMES BALL AS EMERGENCY RESPONSE COORDINATOR PROVIDENCE -- Department of Environmental Management Director W. Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. today announced the appointment of James Ball as environmental response coordinator. Ball has held this position in an acting capacity since December 2008."James Ball is a dedicated professional and I am very pleased that he has accepted this position," noted DEM Director Sullivan. "Jim's extensive experience as a first responder to a wide range of environmental emergencies such as oil spills, hazardous material and chemical releases, and his vast knowledge and extensive incident command system training will serve the public well in this key position." As environmental response coordinator, Ball is responsible for the planning, direction and administration of the Oil Spill Prevention, Administration and Response Fund and DEM's Office of Emergency Response. This office oversees the department's response and assessment of damages to natural resources resulting from oil and hazardous material releases and other environmental and natural disasters. The six-member emergency response staff works to assess, contain, and remediate environmental incidents to minimize risk to the public and the environment. Last year the office responded to more than 900 environmental incidents. Ball has served in positions of increasing responsibility in DEM's Office of Emergency Response for the past 15 years, as well as in DEM's Office of Waste Management. Since 1997, he has supervised the daily operations of the Office of Emergency Response and responded to oil and hazardous waste spills, as well as chemical, biological, and potentially radiological and nuclear incidents. A Coventry resident, Ball received his Bachelor of Science degree in Resource Development from the University of Rhode Island's College of Natural Resources in 1987. Throughout his tenure at DEM, he has completed numerous in-service training programs and participated in table top exercise and response drills with local, state and federal agencies, hospitals, and universities related to hazardous materials releases, oil spills, weapons of mass destruction, white powder incidents, chemical weapons, and radiation releases. He is a member of the RI Emergency Management Advisory Council, US Coast Guard Executive Steering Committee, State Emergency Response Commission, Port Safety/Security Committee, Southeast New England Area Maritime Security Committee, and RI Chemical Safe Schools. -30- |
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