SPILL INFORMATION
Spillers are required by Ohio law to report a spill within 30 minutes to the Erie County LEPC at 419-627-7617, the local fire department through the Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 419-625-7951, and the Ohio EPA at 1-800-282-9378. Spillers are also required to provide a comprehensive environmental clean-up report within 30 days.
Federal and State laws require all counties to have a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to develop a chemical emergency response plan and update it yearly; establish procedures for conducting its public information and education on chemical emergencies; receive and process requests for information from the public on hazardous materials; notify the public of all LEPC activities and meetings; and to receive reports and information on hazardous materials as specified in the Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C.). The LEPC is also required to exercise the chemical emergency response plan on a yearly basis. Once every four years, the yearly exercise has to be a full-scale exercise where all aspects of an emergency response are exercised together. The remaining years can be tabletop or functional style exercises.
The LEPC has other responsibilities besides developing an emergency response plan. The committee receives emergency releases and hazardous chemical inventory information submitted by local facilities and must make this information available to the public upon request. The LEPC has the authority to request additional information from facilities for their own planning purposes or on behalf of others. Members may want to visit facilities in the community to find out what they are doing to reduce hazards, prepare for accidents and reduce hazardous inventories and releases. LEPCs are able to take civil actions against facilities if they fail to provide the information required under the Act.
Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) are appointed by the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). LEPCs must consist of representatives of all of the following groups and organizations: - Elected and local officials
- Law enforcement
- Civil defense
- Firefighters
- First Aid
- Health
- Local environmental and transportation agencies
- Hospitals
- Broadcast and print media
- Community groups
- Representatives of facilities subject to the emergency planning and community right-to-know requirements.
ERIE COUNTY LEPC MEETING DATES FOR 2023 :
February 15
May 17
August 16
November 15
If you would like more information, please contact Kim Johnson, LEPC Information Coordinator, at [email protected]. All meetings are held at the Erie County EMA office at 8:30 a.m.. Please contact 419-627-7617 for futher information.