Many of us have driven past industrial plants and wondered what was happening inside, what dangerous chemicals were in use, and whether an emergency plan existed, in case of an incident requiring evacuation. These concerns grew after the 1984 chemical tragedy in Bhopal, India, where a release of toxic gas killed and injured thousands of people.

In the past, citizens who wanted to know more about the hazardous and toxic chemicals in their communities had to depend on the cooperation of industry for information. Some companies were willing to answer questions and even opened their gates for public tours a few times a year. But if a company wasn't willing to share information about its operations with its neighbors, there wasn't much a concerned citizen could do about it.

That changed in November of 1986, when Congress passed a law designed to help communities like ours deal safely and effectively with the many hazardous substances that are used throughout our society. The law is called the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

The law has two main purposes: to encourage and support emergency planning and responding to chemical accidents; and to provide local governments and the public with information about possible chemical hazards in their communities.

For the law to work, industry, concerned citizens, 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.

Local Emergency Planning Committees, or LEPC's, are crucial to the success of EPCRA. Appointed by the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), local planning committees must consist of representatives of all of the following groups and organizations: elected state and local officials; law enforcement, emergency management, firefighting, first aid, health, local environmental and transportation agencies; hospitals; broadcast and print media; community groups; and representatives of facilities subject to the emergency planning and community right to know requirements.

The LEPC's initial task is to develop an emergency plan and prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of extremely hazardous substances provides focus for setting priorities in planning. The plan must be reviewed annually, tested, and updated. Because the LEPC's members represent the community, they should be familiar with factors that affect public safety, the environment, and the economy of the community. That expertise will be essential as the LEPC develops a plan tailored to the needs of its planning district.

An emergency plan must include the identity and location of hazardous materials; procedures for immediate response to a chemical accident; ways to notify the public about actions they must take; names of coordinators at plants; and schedules and plans for testing the plan. Once the plan is written, the SERC must review it. The LEPC must publicize the plan through public meetings or newspaper announcements, get public comments, and periodically test the plan by conducting emergency drills. The LEPC must also update the plan at least annually and let the public know of its activities.

The LEPC has other responsibilities besides developing an emergency response plan. It receives emergency release and hazardous chemical inventory information submitted by local facilities, and must make this information available to the public upon request. It must establish and publicize procedures for handling those requests.

LEPC's have the authority to request additional information from facilities for their own planning purposes or on behalf of others. LEPC's may want to visit facilities in the community to find out what they are doing to reduce hazards, prepare for accidents, and reduce hazardous inventories and releases. LEPC's can take civil actions against facilities if they fail to provide the information required under EPCRA.

An LEPC can most effectively carry out its responsibilities as a community forum by taking steps to educate the public about chemical risks, and working with facilities to minimize those risks. The value of the information provided by EPCRA will be limited unless citizens are given the means to understand the information and its implications. The LEPC's ability to improve the safety and health of this community will be greatly enhanced by the support of an informed and active citizenry.

Return to the Sarpy County Local Emergency Planning Committee Page

Created January 8, 1998

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