Mason County LEPC

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What is the Local Emergency Planning Committee?
• The current LEPC was established in Mason County subsequent to the 1986 Superfund Amendment and reauthorization Act (SARA) to respond to the need for communities to know more about chemical hazards and to develop specific local response plans. This committee consists of representatives from industry, government officials, and individuals from specific agencies who assure that Mason County has the planning and resource capabilities for Chemical Emergencies. The primary responsibility is to protect the public health and the environment from chemical hazards by continually identifying facilities that manufacture, process or store these materials in Mason County. This responsibility extends to informing and educating the public about methods it can use to protect itself and to assist governmental agencies to become better prepared to meet possible emergency events caused by these hazardous materials.

Why was the LEPC formed?
• When a chemical incident in India killed and injured thousands of people in 1985, there was concern as to whether that same kind of incident could happen here in the U.S. In answer to rising attention President Ronald Reagan signed the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act into law on October 16, 1986. Title III of that Act is known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). One of the first actions of the Act was for each Governor to appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). This commission divided the state into Local Emergency Planning Districts (LEPD's) and appointed members of that community to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

Who serves on the LEPC?
• Members from certain agencies and businesses who have an interest or play an active role in response to chemical emergencies serve on the LEPC. They assist in the formation and annual review of an Emergency Plan that is required by law. EPCRA specifies certain roles that must be included in the membership of the LEPC. This membership includes state and local elected officials, police, firefighters, EMS, civil defense workers, public health, environmental, hospital, and transportation officials, industry representatives, and news media public/community members. Individuals from each of these groups are appointed to the LEPC through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and SERC.

How do you know what to plan for?
• Each facility that maintains over 55 gallons or 500 pounds of any Hazardous Substance (HS) in inventory that is classified as a hazardous substance by federal standards is required to report that chemical to certain agencies. The reports are called Tier Two reports and they are due prior to March 1st of each year. These reports list the chemical name, amounts stored, storage information and the hazards associated with the specific substance. This information (Tier II's) are sent to:
     · the SERC
     · the Mason County LEPC
     · the local fire department serving the facility

The primary duties of the LEPC are to:
• Prepare and coordinate a chemical emergency response plan for all facilities in the County where extremely hazardous materials are present in quantities above a threshold planning quantity, as required by SARA Title III, Section 303.
• Collect and maintain SARA Section 312 hazardous chemical inventory reports (Tier II reports) for facilities required to submit such reports.
• Receive information about reportable accidental chemical releases and ensure that emergency response plans are followed by the responsible facility when responding to such releases.
• Assist the County in the preparation of a Hazardous Material Emergency Response Preparedness Assessment.
• Ensure the review, implementation and updating of the Mason County Chemical Emergency Response Plan and the component plans for each reporting facility.
• Maintain a database of all planning and reporting facilities and the hazardous chemicals reported by these facilities utilizing the CAMEO chemical information systems database.
• Provide outreach and education to municipalities and the community concerning hazardous materials within the community.