What is an LEPC?

Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. Plans are developed by LEPCs with stakeholder participation. There is one LEPC for each of the 3,000 designated local emergency planning districts. The LEPC membership must include (at a minimum):

• Elected state and local officials
• Police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals
• Environment, transportation, and hospital officials
• Facility representatives
• Representative from community groups and media

This means local people are making local decisions about how to plan for, train for and respond to chemical emergencies in your community. The LEPC is the point of contact for the public to receive information on storage/locations of chemicals, types of chemicals and hazards associated with those chemicals.  Most people will agree that efforts to protect the public are best handled locally by the people and for the people whom the law was meant to protect.