Roles and Responsibilities of the LEPC

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Roles and Responsibilities of the LEPC
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WHY HAVE AN LEPC?
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Congress mandated the creation of LEPCs to
effectively implement the emergency planning
provision of EPCRA (Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to- Know Act of 1986)
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The purpose of the LEPC is to maintain a
broad-based membership from the community to
ensure the development of and maintenance of an
effective emergency plan to respond to
hazardous materials emergencies
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At a minimum, the LEPC membership must include
representatives from the following
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• Elected state and local officials
• Law Enforcement agencies
• Emergency Management

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• Fire Fighting Personnel
• Health Care Personnel
• Local Environmental Groups

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• Hospital Representative
• Broadcast and Print Media
• Community Groups

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• Owners/Operators of
• facilities subject to emergency
• planning requirements
• Transportation Representative

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EMERGENCY PLANNING
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The LEPC is responsible for developing and
maintaining a local emergency plan that will
ensure quick and effective responses to
chemical emergencies
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The Emergency Plan Must
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• Use the information provided
• by business and industry to
• identify the facilities and
• transportation routes where
• hazardous substance(s)
• are present

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• Establish emergency response
• procedures, including shelter-in
• place and evacuation plans, for
• dealing with accidental releases
• of hazardous materials

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• Set up notification procedures
• for those who will respond to
• chemical emergencies

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• Establish methods for
• determining the occurrences
• and severity of a release and
• the areas and populations
• likely to be affected

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• Establish ways to
• notify the public of a release
• and actions they must take

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Identify the emergency response equipment
available in the county, including
equipment at facilities
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Develop, and maintain a program and schedule
training for local emergency response and
medical worker (s) t respond to chemical
emergencies
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• Establish methods and
• schedules for conducting
• exercises to test elements
• of the emergency response
• plan

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PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
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The LEPC must annually publish a notice of
availability of the emergency response plan and
all other information gathered under the
reporting requirements of SARA Title III
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Emergency Release Notification
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If there is a chemical accident at any
commercial, municipal or other facility or on a
transportation route in your county,
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If the release exceeds the Reportable Quantity
for the hazardous the LEPC, SERC and NRC must
be notified immediately
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The National Response Center (NRC) alerts
federal responders as necessary
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• Immediate Notification must
• include
• The name of the chemical
• The location of the release
• Whether or not the chemical is
• on the Extremely Hazardous
• Substance list

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• How much of the substance has
• been released
• The time and duration of the
• incident
• Whether the chemical was
• released into the air, water or
• soil or some combination thereof

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• Known or anticipated health
• risks and necessary medical
• attention
• Recommended actions/
• precautions such as evacuation
• A contact person and telephone
• number at the facility

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The initial notification will activate the local
emergency responders if necessary
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The law also requires follow-up reporting. As
soon as practical after the release, the
facility must submit a written report to the
LEPC and the SERC
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The follow-up report must update the initial
notification and provide additional information
such as
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Known or anticipated health risks, and if
appropriate, advice regarding any medical care
needed by exposed victims
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Any covered facility that fails to notify
proper authorities of a release, or fails to
submit a timely written follow-up report will
be subject to civil penalties
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Civil Penalties can be up to 25,000 a day for
each day of non-compliance. Repeat offenders
can be fined up to 75,000 a day
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In addition, criminal penalties may be imposed
on any person who knowingly and willfully fails
to provide notice
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Criminal violators face fines of up to 25,000
or prison sentences of up to two years.
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Repeat criminal offenders can be fined up to
50,000 and imprisoned up to five years
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HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL REPORTING (Tier II)
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Facilities must report the amounts, location and
potential hazards of hazardous chemicals being
produced, used or stored to the LEPC, SERC and
fire department serving that facility
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The LEPC and SERC must make this information
available to the public upon request
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Facilities must report on these substances in
two ways
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1) MSDSs - facilities must also submit to the
LEPC, SERC and fire department MSDSs or lists
of MSDS chemicals present at the facilities in
excess of planning quantities
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2) Submit annual inventories of these same
hazardous or extremely hazardous chemicals to
the LEPC, SERC, and fire departments (Tier IIs)