2015 Southern Alleghenies Regional LEPC Summit

An LEPC or Local Emergency Planning Committee is a local organization that was established by a Federal law called the Emergency Planning and Community Right to know Act or EPCRA. It was passed by the United States Congress in November of 1986 to help communities deal safely and effectively with the many hazardous substances that are used throughout our country. The Superfund Amendment and Re-Authorization Act (SARA) passed in 1986 requires emergency response plans to be developed for responding to chemical emergencies which might happen in the United States. This responsibility was mandated to be handled on local levels through the establishment of LEPCs.

 

The law has two main purposes:

 

          · To encourage and support emergency planning for responding to chemical                        accidents.

          · To provide local governments and the public with information about possible                     chemical hazards in their communities.

 

For the law to work, industry, interested citizens, environmental and other public-interest organizations, and government at all levels must work together to plan for chemical accidents and to reduce the risk to the public from releases of toxic chemicals into the environment. The law establishes an ongoing forum at the local level for discussion and a focus for action -- the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

 

With the recent terrorist attacks on our country, and the possibility of a chemical spill or release at a local chemical plant, people are more concerned about the chemicals in their neighborhood. The more you know about chemicals and chemical hazards in your community, the better equipped you and your local government will be to make decisions and take actions that will better protect your family and your neighbors from unacceptable risks.

 

In response to the law’s requirements, states, communities, industries, and citizen groups around the country have joined forces to:

 

        · Write emergency plans to protect the public from chemical accidents.

        · Set up procedures to warn and, if necessary, evacuate the public in case of                               emergency.

        · Provide citizens and local governments with information about hazardous                                 chemicals & accidental releases of chemicals in their communities.

        · Prepare public reports on annual releases of toxic chemicals into the air, water,                       and soil.

 

All this planning and information-gathering is directed toward a common goal: to help you, your local officials and community leaders to become better informed, since together you make important decisions about how to deal with toxic and hazardous materials.