Local Emergency Planning Committee

Meetings

The Chambers County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meets bimonthly. The current meeting location is the Eagle Point Golf Course Pavilion, 12440 Eagle Pointe Dr., Mont Belvieu, TX 77523.  Email LEPC for current meeting date, time and location.

Overview

LEPCs are a product of federal legislation that was passed in the wake of the Bhopal disaster in India, where an accidental release of a hazardous chemical resulted in thousands of deaths and as many as 200,000 were injured.

In response, in 1986, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), also known as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA Title III). EPCRA established LEPCs to help increase public knowledge and access to information on chemicals at individual facilities, their uses and releases into the environment.

Legal Requirements of LEPCs under EPCRA

• The role of LEPCs is to form a partnership between local government and industry as a resource for enhancing hazardous materials preparedness. The LEPC shall review local emergency management plans once a year, or more frequently as circumstances change in the community or as any facility may require (Section 303(a)).
• The LEPC shall receive from each subject facility the name of a facility representative who will participate in the emergency planning process as a facility emergency coordinator (Section 303(d)).
• The LEPC shall be informed by the community emergency coordinator of hazardous chemical releases reported by owners or operators of covered facilities (Section 304(b)(1)(a)). The LEPC shall be given follow-up emergency information as soon as practical after a release, which requires the owner/operator to submit a notice (Section 304(c)).
• The LEPC shall establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public for information under Section 324, including Tier II information under Section 312. Such procedures shall include the designation of an official to serve as coordinator for information (Section 301(c)).
• The LEPC shall receive from the owner or operator of each facility an emergency and hazardous chemical inventory form (Section 312(a)).
• Tier II Reports shall be submitted annually to the LEPC, State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), and local fire department.

For more information, Email LEPC.