The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was passed by Congress in 1986. EPCRA was included as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) and is sometimes referred to as SARA Title III. EPCRA provides for the collection and availability of information regarding the use, storage, production, and release of hazardous chemicals to the public and emergency responders in your communities. The law promotes a working relationship among government at all levels, business and community leaders, environmental and other public interest organizations, and individual citizens to improve hazard communications and emergency planning.
Michigan State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) has specified that each county in the state will form a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). In addition, certain cities are also allowed to maintain their own LEPC. As such, there are ninety-one (91) LEPC's in Michigan.
This committee's mission is to develop, collect, research and prepare hazardous material plans that are required by the SARA Title 3 Act (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act) for dangerous chemicals of different amounts that are located in Benzie County. The committee also prepares and educates the public and emergency responders to this information. The Local Emergency Planning Committee annually evaluates the Off-Site Response Plans at each of the 11 sites in Benzie County and updates information, photographs and mapping of these sites. Benzie County is one of the few counties that are up-to-date on their site plans. Many larger and smaller counties do not have the resources that Benzie County has to accomplish this mission.
For more information on how Local Emergency Planning Committees are structured, click on
"LEPC's Organizing for Success"
