Local Emergency Planning Commission - Responsiblities
A LEPC is broadly representative of the community and must include
members from each of five constituent groups:
- elected state and local officials
- law enforcement officials, civil defense workers, and firefighters
- first aid, health, hospital, environmental, and transportation
workers
- representatives of community groups and the news media
- owners and operators of industrial facilities including other
businesses using, storing, processing, or distributing chemicals.
As the focal point for local emergency response planning for chemical
releases, the LEPC has the following responsibilities:
- To appoint all committee members including the specific designation
of a chairperson, a community information coordinator, and a community
emergency coordinator
- To prepare and distribute a comprehensive emergency response plan for
chemical emergencies within the LEPC's district
- To review this plan once a year or more often as circumstances in the
community or at facilities may require
- To evaluate the resources necessary to develop, to implement, and to
exercise the LEPC's emergency plan and make recommendations concerning
additional resources required by the community including the means for
obtaining/providing them
- To provide for public participation in these local emergency planning
and preparedness activities through public notification/advertisement of the
regular meetings of the LEPC, and in particular, the annual public meeting to
discuss the locality's existing chemical emergency response plans; this
includes rules for public comment, committee response, and availability and
distribution of the emergency plan
- To establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from
the public for: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), lists of MSDS chemicals,
and Tier I/Tier II hazardous chemical inventory forms and written follow-up
emergency release notices
- To annually publish a notice in the local newspapers that the
emergency response plan, MSDSs, lists of MSDS chemicals, Tier I/Tier II forms,
and written follow-up emergency release notices have been submitted and are
available to the general public for review during normal working hours at the
location(s) designated by the LEPC
Each LEPC is responsible for receiving EPCRA
information reported by their community's regulated community and as a result
of reviewing that data, developing a plan to prepare for and respond to local
chemical release emergencies.
This local emergency plan by the LEPC must:
- Identify facilities subject to the emergency planning requirements of
SARA Title III-facilities that have extremely hazardous substances (EHSs)
on-site in amounts equal to or greater than the threshold planning quantities
(TPQs) established by the U.S. EPA.
- Determine routes used for the transportation of EHSs
- Make note of any "risk-related" facilities near reporting sites or in
the community such as natural gas facilities, power stations/high transmission
towers, or schools or hospitals (critical facilities that might be involved in
an evacuation, chemical release emergency, etc…)
- Designate the emergency response procedures to be employed by the
locality both on-site and off-site
- Appoint a community emergency coordinator and identify the facility
emergency response coordinator(s) to implement the plan in the event of an
emergency
- Describe the emergency notification procedures to be used in the
community and the evacuation plans to be carried out in the event of an
emergency requiring this
- Specfy the methods for determining a chemical release and the
probable affected area and population
- Inventory community and industry emergency equipment or facilities
available including their location and the identity of the
organizations/persons responsible for them
- List a description and schedules of training for community response
to a chemical emergency in the locality, including the exercise of the
emergency response plan itself
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