What is a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)?

A Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is a gathering of representiatives that have an interest in hazardous materials safety. As a group they will identify potential risks that the community faces from hazardous chemicals stored on or transported in and through your community. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) seeks ways to help minimize the risks, prevent accidents, and assist in the development of plans to respond to a chemical emergency. Another core component of a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is education. Through the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) the public will be able to seek information about chemicals in their community and identify safety plans within their own families.

The Pinal County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is one of fifteen Local Emergency Planning Committees in the State that was formed on July 17, 1987 to implement the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) within the County. Our Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) plays the critical role of providing information of existing chemical hazards within the county in order for everyone to be better prepared to understand, manage, and respond to these potential hazards. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) does this by forming partnerships between responders, local governments, communities, businesses, industries, media, academia, and the public.

What does the Pinal County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) do?

The Pinal County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) encourages:

· Prevention by providing public information on the cause of hazardous material accidents.

· Preparedness through the development of emergency response plans by entities handling, manufacturing, storing, transporting or disposing of hazardous chemicals.

· Planning for emergencies by making training available to first responders, businesses and members of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

Why do I need a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)?

Your community needs to know they are safe and there are plans in place to assist with accidental chemical releases. Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) it was mandated that Local Emergency Planning Committees be formed as a means of allowing communities to assess their risks from hazardous chemicals and a way for the public to exercise its Right to Know.

Who is responsible for forming a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)?

Under the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), the Arizona State Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC) has designated each of the fifteen (15) counties as a local emergency planning district to implement Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA).

What is the Arizona State Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC)?

Arizona State Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC) oversees the fifteen Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and supports community, industry and government and academia in; planning, release and incident reporting, data management guidance for inventory reporting, public disclosure of information about hazardous chemicals in Arizona as well as development of training and outreach programs. Learn More.....

The Local Emergency Planning Committee’s day-to-day activities are donated time by its members. However, the development of the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grant program, by Congress, provides financial and technical assistance to enhance local hazardous materials emergency planning and training. The funding source for this grant program is through fees collected from shippers and carriers of hazardous materials. This grant may not be used to purchase equipment.

The Emergency Response Funds (ERF) grant program was established by Arizona Revised Statutes, and overseen by Arizona State Emergency Response Commission (AZSERC), to develop and implement a state hazardous materials emergency management program.  When funding is available, this grant program is used to purchase equipment for emergency responders who are trained and certified to respond to hazardous materials emergencies.