Jefferson Parish
Local Emergency Planning Committee
The
LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) is a product of Federal legislation
that was passed in the wake of the industrial disaster in Bhopal, India, where
several thousand people died because of an accident involving hazardous
chemicals. To prevent similar occurrences in our own communities, Congress
passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act (EPCRA) in 1986 (also known as the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act - SARA Title III). EPCRA establishes requirements for
business and for federal, state and local governments regarding emergency
planning and community right-to-know reporting for hazardous and toxic
chemicals. The community right-to-know provisions in EPCRA help increase the
public's awareness about the presence of chemicals in their environment. As a
result, states and communities, working with industry, are better able to
protect public health and the environment.
Congress enacted EPCRA to benefit local communities in two ways:
Provide a basis for each community to develop and tailor a chemical emergency planning and response program to suit its individual needs, and
Provide the public with the identity, quantity, location and properties of hazardous substances in the community.
EPCRA mandated that LEPC's be established. The Act specifies that each committee is to have, at a minimum, representatives from each of the following groups or organizations:
Elected State and local officials
Law Enforcement Agencies
Emergency Preparedness Agencies
Fire
Departments
EMS Departments
Health officials
Local environmental officials
Medical personnel
Broadcast & print media
Community groups
Owners and operators of facilities subject to the requirements of this law
It was mandated that each LEPC have a chairperson and establish rules by which the committee would function. Such rules include provisions for public notification of committee activities. The LEPC had to establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public for information under the right-to-know provisions of the law, including chemical inventory information (Tier II). It did not, however, allow for funding. Therefore, the Jefferson Parish LEPC has no budget.
The Jefferson Parish LEPC is led by a pair of co-chairman, one from industry and one from government. We have three standing sub-committees:
Planning & Exercise/Right-to-Know Committee. This group is responsible for revising, updating, copying and distributing the Hazardous Materials Emergency Operations Plan (Annex H). This committee is also responsible for working with emergency responders & industry to provide a realistic exercise simulations to test the capabilities of emergency workers, as well as, the efficacy of the plan. Policies and procedures for right-to-know issues and release reporting are formulated by this group.
Public Education and Training Committee. This committee is responsible for development of a public alert and notification program; public relations with affected communities and the public at large; all publicity of the LEPC; development of public education, information, and training programs; procedures for identifying and communicating with affected facilities.
Audit Committee. This committee shall work with the Secretary/Treasurer and the Hazardous Materials Risk Coordinator to audit the use of funds collected under the Hazardous Materials Fee Ordinance by the Department of Emergency Management. This committee has established accounting procedures for any funds received or dispersed by the LEPC.
The Jefferson Parish LEPC meets bi-monthly, on the second Tuesday of every other month. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 8th, at 10:00 AM. It will be held at the Westbank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, LA. Everyone is invited to attend.
For more information contact the Department of Emergency Management at 504-349-5360 or send e-mail to eolsen@jeffparish.net.
