Report of the Local Emergency Planning Committee

The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act established Local Emergency Planning Committees and require them to evaluate hazardous chemicals in storage, use or transportation in the community and to develop plans to respond to emergencies involving these hazardous materials. This is a result of October 17, 1986 when the Super-fund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA ) Title III were enacted into law regarding emergency planning and community right-to-know reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals.

The Southwick Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is composed from a represented number of interest groups with the mission:

1. To write and review annually a plan for responding to a hazardous material incident within Southwick.

2. To train emergency responders: Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Public Works, Emergency Management, Health Officers, etc. to levels indicated in the plan with a minimum of the Awareness Level for first responders.

3. To exercise the Emergency Response Plan at least once a year.

4. To create a system to collect, store, and respond to public requests for Tier II data and Emergency Plan information.

Southwick LEPC received Full Certification on October 11, 2007. The LEPC meets eight times a year on the fourth Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Emergency Operations Center.

For Haz-Mat requests under SARA Title III, contact the Right to Know Officer at 569-5995 or 569-0308.

LEPC Officers are:
Chairman: Karl J. Stinehart
Vice Chairman: Thomas FitzGerald
Secretary: Charles H. Dunlap
Treasurer: Dennis Clark
Other Members:
David St.Pierre
David Ricardi
Don Morris
Jeff Neece
Art Boissonnault
Jay Barry
Paul Petit
Ray Snow
Brian Houlihan
Bruce Bussiere
Roy Benson

Respectfully submitted,

Charles H. Dunlap
LEPC Secretary