Hazardous Materials
This Dauphin County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) has been established in accordance with the requirements of Title III Superfund Amendments, Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA, Title III) and Pennsylvania Act 1990-165 as amended, Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning and Response Act.
The purpose of the LEPC is to make, amend and repeal bylaws and other procedures in order to carry out the duties, requirements and responsibilities IAW SARA, Title III and Pennsylvania Act 1990-165, as amended.
These duties include:
- Preparing, approving, and reviewing (on an annual basis) an emergency response plan for each SARA, Title III Planning Facility within Dauphin County.
- Submitting initial copies of each emergency response plan to the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Commission for review.
- Publishing an annual notice of its public information procedures for use by the general public.
- Receive, store, and retrieve material safety data sheets, chemical inventory forms, and all other applicable documents.
- Respond to public requests, for information.
- Oversee and approve expenditures from the County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Account consistent with the needs identified in the Hazardous Materials Response Team fiscal budget.
- Review and approve County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team (HMRT) policies and legal actions required to recover response costs for volunteer emergency service organizations.
- Approve/Disapprove nominees to the county Hazardous Materials Response Team.
SARA Title III (EPCRA)
In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, more commonly-known as the Superfund Act) to clean up the nation's hazardous waste sites and provide emergency response to chemical releases from these sites. In 1986, Congress reauthorized and expanded the CERCLA with the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA). SARA Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, establishes emergency response planning committees, provides for the reporting of hazardous chemicals and quantities at each facility, and mandates that emergency response plans be developed for each facility containing a certain quantity of an EPA-designated Extremely Hazardous Substance.
Pennsylvania Tier Two System (PATTS)
List of Chemicals subject to Community Right to Know
Pennsylvania Act 165
Pennsylvania Act 165, known as the Hazardous Material Emergency Planning and Response Act, is Pennsylvania's legislative version of SARA. Act 165 provides for the establishment of Local Emergency Planning Committees, reporting requirements for hazardous chemical use, storage, and releases, and establishes the Hazardous Material Response Fund. Each year, fees are collected from facilities based on their inventory of hazardous chemicals. These funds are then used to train and equip emergency responders who will be sent to incidents involving the release of hazardous materials.
Pennsylvania Act of 165 or 1990, as amended
Hazardous materials pose a real, and potentially disastrous threat to the citizens of Dauphin County. Hazardous materials incidents may include, but are not limited to, responses involving fires, spills, transportation accidents, chemical reactions and explosions. Associated hazards involved may include toxicity, flammability, radiological hazards, corrosives, explosives, health hazards or any combination of these items.
The Dauphin County Hazardous Materials Response Team maintains a state-level certification through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and functions as part of the Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency. The HazMat Team is comprised of both volunteers and career personnel who train and respond together to mitigate hazardous situations throughout Dauphin County.