LEPC Local Emergency Planning Committee
Meetings are held Monthly on the third Tuesday.
The Local Emergency Planning Committee is a product of federal legislation passed by Congress after the disaster in Bhopal, India, where thousands of people died from an accident involving hazardous chemicals. To prevent similar accidents in our communities, in 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), also known as SARA Title III. EPCRA established requirements for businesses, and for federal, state, and local governments regarding emergency planning, and community-right-to-know reporting for hazardous chemicals. This helps increase public awareness about the presence of chemicals in their communities and any releases of these chemicals into the environment. The State of Idaho also enacted the Hazardous Substance Emergency Response Act (Idaho Code: Title 39, Chapter 71).
LEPCs are the link between citizens, industry and the government. The membership comes from the local area and is familiar with factors that affect public safety, the environment, and the economy of the community. In Gem County the LEPC tasks have been expanded beyond just chemical hazards to include information and discussion about emergency planning, training and exercising, for all hazards.
For more information contact the LEPC Coordinator via email. LEPC Coordinator