Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are required under federal and state law to coordinate hazardous materials response preparedness activies. 

 

LEPCs in Maine are organized at the County level and membership, as defined by law, should include representation from:

 

• Elected Officials

• Law Enforcement

• Emergency Management

• Fire Service

• Emergency Medical Services

• Public Health

• Environmental Groups

• Hospitals

• Transportation

• Media

• General Public

• Facility Employees

• Community Groups

• Facility Operators

 

LEPCs roles and responsibilities as outline by The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)  U.S.C. T-42.116 include:

 

• Recieve inventory informations from Facilities

• Develop a response plan

• Identify training needs

• Sponser exercises

• Educate the public

 

In addition to Local Emergency Planning Committees, each state has a State Emergency Response Committee (SERC).

 

SERC History:

 

          In 1986 in response to a series of major chemical releases the United States government passed legislation called the Superfund Amendment and Preauthorization Act Title III, now known as Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).

Provisions of this law included facilities who have on site hazardous materials (10,000 lbs. and above) or extremely hazardous substances (500 lbs. or less depending on their TPQ in the Title III List of Lists) are required to report these products to their local fire department, the local emergency planning committee (LEPC) and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC).

Within this provision these reports also become a matter of public record thereby allowing citizens who lived near facilities with chemicals to be aware of any potential risk and develop an awareness of what they may do in the event of a chemical release.

 

SERC Duties:

 

• Advise the Director, MEMA, on rules promulgated under Chapter 13, Title 37-B;

• Designate emergency planning districts to facilitate preparation and implementation of emergency response plans;

• Appoint members to Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) within each emergency planning district;

• Supervise and coordinate the activities of LEPC’s;

• Receive and process requests from the public regarding emergency response plans, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), inventory forms, toxic chemical release forms, and emergency release notices;

• Review and make recommendations on emergency response plans submitted by LEPC’s;

• Receive release notifications;

• Rule on trade secrets in cooperation with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);

• Monitor, observe, participate, and review certain hazardous materials exercises;

• Review and monitor hazardous materials training programs;

• Conduct joint emergency operations from the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC);

• Undertake all other actions necessary for state implementation of SARA Title III (the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986) and Chapter 13, Title 37-B; and

• Provide oversight and control of the State Emergency Response Fund.

 

The Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted by Congress as the national legislation on community safety and authorized by Title III of the Superfund Amandments and Reauthoriation Act (SARA)

 

Important Links and Documents

 

~LEPC Information~

~Right to Know~

~Maine SERC~

~EPCRA Fact Sheet~

~30 Years of EPCRA~

~Summary of EPCRA~

~EPA History: Superfund~

~Federal Reference Materials and Links~