The program, demonstrated Wednesday at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, links cities by computer to the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC), which now provides emergency planning response help to the Energy and Defense departments.
In case of accident or attack, cities would send NARAC the coordinates where a toxic release is believed to have taken place. Using weather and previously gathered geographic information, NARAC would map out where the substance is likely to spread.
"This will provide them generally with a situational analysis of what is going on," said Don Ermak, leader of the lab's Atmospheric Release Assessment Program.
Scientists picked Seattle as the pilot city for the program, working with the nonprofit group Public Technology Inc.
The plume, which extended for about 10 miles, showed a small red zone near the point of release where 85 percent of the population might have received a lethal dose.
Schools, hospitals and police stations were also highlighted on the map.
Ermak said officials are still working with Seattle to gather information for the model and hope to begin testing and training exercises this summer.
The initial cost of linking a city to NARAC is between $300,000 and $500,000. In Seattle's case, the city is providing manpower and the lab is picking up the bill for the rest. However, Ermak said lab officials hope to expand their program to five or six cities and bring the cost down to between $25,000 and $50,000 per city.
Eventually, they hope to have 100 cities involved, with information available to city, state and federal officials.
"This project is extremely exciting for us because it brings a technology not only to the city of Seattle ... but potentially to other cities and towns across the country," said Ronda Mosley-Rovi of Public Technology Inc., who spoke at the Wednesday demonstration by way of a video hookup.
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