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The Beginning
The LEPC is a product of Federal legislation that was passed in the wake of the Bhopal disaster in India. To prevent similar occurrences in our 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 provision in EPCRA help increase the public's awareness about the presence of hazardous chemicals in their communities and releases of these chemicals into the 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. Two of the main goals of the law are to:

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 right-to-know the identity, quantity, location, and properties of hazardous substances in the community.

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act requires that certain facilities which store hazardous chemicals on site in excess of specified quantities or release into the environment specific extremely hazardous substances, must report certain information on those chemicals and their facilities.

The legislature of the State of Texas passed the Texas Disaster Act of 1975, Chapter 418, Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated. Through the Disaster Act, the governor is charged with the responsibility for meeting the dangers to the State and people presented by disasters. The governor, by executive order, established an Emergency Management Council to advise and assist the governor in all matters relating to disaster preparedness, emergency services, and disaster recovery. The Emergency Management Council is composed of the heads of state agencies, boards, and commissions and representatives of organized volunteer groups. The duties and responsibilities of each member of this group are designated in the State Emergency Management Plan. Additionally, the Governor designated the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety to serve as Chairperson of the Council and as the Director of the Governor's Division of Emergency Management.

Upon enactment of the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, the Governor designated the Emergency Management Council as the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). Thus the Director of the Department of Public Safety is the Chairperson for the SERC. This arrangement gives the SERC tremendous flexibility. The chairperson can call on one or more of the agencies to meet the requirements of EPCRA.

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and federal agencies, the SERC, the Division of Emergency Management, and the chemical industry are cooperating with local communities to make the EPCRA effective. However, ultimate responsibility for the success of EPCRA in Texas rests with the LEPCs. The LEPCs are the link between citizens, industry, and government. Because the LEPCs are most familiar with the hazards in their community, and because local jurisdictions are the first responders to chemical emergencies, LEPCs are in the best position to assist local government in developing hazardous materials plans to respond to hazardous materials emergencies if they occur.

Goals
When Congress enacted EPCRA, the two main goals were:

Provide a basis for each community to develop and tailor a chemical emergency planning and response program to suit its individual needs;

Provide the public with the right to know the identify, quantity, location, and properties of hazardous substances in the community.

The Backbone of the LEPC - The Committees
The LEPC By-Laws mandate six (6) Standing Committees - Compliance, Community Education, Drills and Training, Warning, Transportation and Finance. Additionally, the Chairman can appoint those Ad Hoc Committees as he deems appropriate. At this time we have one (1) Ad Hoc Committee, Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day who works in preparation for the Collection Day Event and then becomes dormant until the next year.

The Committees accomplish the work of the LEPC. Without the dedication and willingness to work shown by the volunteer members of the committees the LEPC would be a group Ain name only@.

Compliance
This committee shall be responsible for formulating procedures to identify small businesses who should be reporting under SARA Title III; changes in chemical inventory; and changes in risk/vulnerability analysis.

Drills and Training
This committee shall be responsible for the formulation and implementation of first responder training and drills as required by SARA Title III.

Warning
This committee shall be responsible for investigation of all types of Public Warning systems; development of scope/specifications; interfacing with neighboring jurisdictions; investigating avenues for funding of a Public Warning System.

Community Education
This committee shall be responsible for formulating and implementing public relations/education program.

This group has had the hardest of all responsibilities - Education of the Public so that they will know what to do when a chemical is released. Through this group and the larger Community Education Task Force (formed after the incident in 1989 representing the 10 Ship Channel LEPC Education Committees) the LEPC has made great strides in creating an awareness of the LEPC and in teaching What To Do When A Release Occurs

Creating an identity for the LEPC and its memberships in the creation of a Logo; creating a Mascot for the Shelter-In-Place concept (Wally Wise Guy) the Task Force and the Education Sub-Committee have been a formidable job!

Transportation
This committee shall be responsible for identification and hazard assessment of transportation modes; interfacing with carriers; identification of routes; and coordination of emergency planning and training.

Finance
This committee shall be responsible for formulation and implementation of an annual budget, obtaining funding and an annual audit of the financial records of the LEPC.