What is the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)?

The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) of Clinton County was created as a direct result on the passage of Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986.  Title II is also known as "The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act" (EPCRA and is administered by the Clinton County Office of Emergency Management).  The LEPC is the focal point for Title III activities in Clinton County. The law is designed to help communities protect public health, safety and the environment from chemical hazards.

Under Title III, facilities that use, store or manufacture any of 650 extremely hazardous substances (EHS) listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), above a specific threshold planning quantity (TPQ), must report their inventory to the county and the state by March 1 of each year.  These facilities must also notify the LEPC and the local fire companies, identify a facility emergency coordinator and submit an emergency plan.

Those facilities that use, store or manufacture more than 10,000 pounds of a hazardous chemical, as defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), must also report their inventory

Contacting the LEPC:

The responsibilities of the Clinton County LEPC include:

• Review all of the facilities inventory reports and asses the hazards involved
• Develop, maintain and update Comprehensive Response Plan to deal with potential releases of hazardous and extremely hazardous substances within Clinton County
• Maintain a list of all extremely hazardous substances and hazardous materials within the county and the facilities that use, store or manufacture such chemicals
• Establish procedures for receiving and processing request from the public for information about , and copies of, Emergency Response Plans, Material Safety Data Sheets, and Chemical Inventory Forms
• Develop, observe and critique all Hazardous Materials exercises
• Educate the public about the risks from accidental and routine releases of chemicals, and work with facilities to minimize those risks

The Emergency Response Plan must include:

• Identification of the facility
• Identification of hazardous materials transportation routes
• Designate community and facility coordinators
• Designate coordinators who will implement the plans
• Emergency notification procedures
• Methods to determine release occurrences and probable affected areas and population
• Description of emergency equipment, facilities and personnel
• Evacuation procedures
• Description and schedules of personnel training programs and methods for exercising emergency response plans

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