Local Emergency Planning Committees - A Bridge Between Community and Industry, 1993 Environmental Conference Proceedings

In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Congress enacted this law to help local communities protect public health and safety and to protect the environment from chemical hazards.

To implement Title III, Congress required each state to appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). The SERCs, in turn, were required to divide their states into emergency planning districts and name a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for each district.

The LEPC is the focal point for Title III activities in the community. The performance of the LEPC is critical to

ensuring that the public benefits from the opportunities and information provided for under the law.

The responsibilities of the LEPCs are stated in the law: each LEPC must develop an emergency plan, collect and store information provided by facilities and make that information available to the public. Other LEPC activities can be anticipated and are important to carrying out the spirit of the law. For example, LEPCs will provide a continuing forum in which the local community and facilities can discuss issues related to hazardous substances.

Near Houston, Texas, Channel View is a highly industrialized area. Some of the big names in the chemical industry have plants located in Channel View. This paper deals with the LEPC’s role, organization and interaction with the public. The LEPC and the public must work together to close the gap between the public trust and industry in general.