Local Emergency Planning Committee
LEPC Background
In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Public Law 99-499, commonly known as EPCRA or SARA Title III. Section 301(a) of the legislation required each governor to appoint a state emergency response commission (SERC) by April of 1987. Section 301(b) charged the SERCs with the responsibility of dividing the states into planning districts and Section 301(c) for appointing local emergency planning committees (LEPCs). In 1987, the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Commission, in compliance with the new legislation, designated each MEMA sub-area as planning districts and appointed a Local Emergency Planning Committee for each city and town within them. The legislation required that the committees have representation from a specified number of interest groups.
LEPC Mission
The mission of an LEPC can be summarized as follows:
- A response plan must be written for responding to a hazardous material incident with the jurisdiction(s). It must also be reviewed annually.
- Emergency responders (police, fire, emergency medical services, public works, etc.) must be trained to levels indicated in the plan. At a minimum, first responders must be trained to the awareness level.
- The emergency response plan must be exercised at least once a year.
- The committee must create a system to collect, store, and respond to public requests.
| LEPC Members | |
| Name | Agency |
| Alan Roy | Palmer Fire-Rescue/LEPC Chairman |
| Open | Town Manager's Office |
| Open | Media Representative |
| Jerry Skowronek | Department of Public Works |
| Mike Dubois | Palmer Ambulance Service |
| William Bernat | Emergency Manager |
| David Majka | Palmer Water Department |
| Kenny Lord | Waste Water Department |
| Open | Three Rivers Water Department |
| Ron Krystofik | Baystate Wing Memorial Hospital |
| Open | Transportation Representative |
| Michael Germaine | Citizen's Representative |
| Dave Cotter | Conservation Commission |
| Joshua Mathieu | Board of Health |
| Open | Thorndike Water Department |
| John Janulewicz | Palmer Police Department |
| John Daniels | Bondsville Fire Department |
| Scott Turner | Three Rivers Fire Department |