The Mission of the Dallas County LEPC is to:
- Provide training, development and coordination opportunities to Dallas County Tier 2 Facilties, 1st Responders, and others .
- Develop procedures for regulated facilities to notify the LEPC, and for receiving and processing requests from the LEPC.
- Collect, manage and provide public access to information on hazardous chemicals in Dallas County.
- Educate the public about risks from accidental and routine releases of chemicals, and work with facilities to minimize the risks.
- Implement other related activities required by Public Law 99-499, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) or the County Judge.
In 1986, the President signed into law the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). This act amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as "Superfund."
Included under Title III of SARA, was a free standing law, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), commonly known as SARA Title III. Its purpose was to encourage and support emergency planning efforts at the State and local levels and provide the public and local governments with information concerning potential chemical hazards present in their communities.
The Dallas County LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) is a forum for emergency management agencies, responders, industry and the public to work together to understand chemical hazards in the community, develop emergency plans in the event of an accidental release and look at ways to prevent chemical accidents. Local industries are required to provide information to the LEPC about chemical hazards at their facilities. The LEPC then makes this information available to the appropriate parties upon request.
On August 1, 2013, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order to improve the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce the risks of hazardous chemicals to workers and communities. Chemicals and the facilities that manufacture, store, distribute and use them are essential to our economy. However, incidents such as the devastating explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas in April are tragic reminders that the handling and storage of chemicals present serious risks that must be addressed. While the cause of the Texas explosion is under investigation, we can take some common sense steps now to improve safety and security and build on Federal agencies’ ongoing work to reduce the risks associated with hazardous chemicals. - [Read More]
