SOUTH CAROLINA LEPCs - NRT Mtg - Murphy... · South Carolina Emergency Management Role of the LEPC...

SOUTH CAROLINA LEPCs

Update – March 2017

South Carolina Emergency Management

LEPC STATUS – December 2016

Inactive LEPCs – December 2016

1. Abbeville2. Allendale 3. Bamberg4. Clarendon5. Hampton6. Horry

7. Jasper 8. Lee9. Lexington10. Marion11. Union


Sensing of Inactive LEPC• Economic hardships in rural counties have limited the number of potential LEPC business members.

• County government focus on business development, budget constraints and other priorities.

• No enforceable (unfunded) mandate requires a LEPC.

• Lack of leadership to organize and establish a LEPC.

SC SERC and Inactive LEPC• In December 2016 SERC recommended that a letter of concern/ encouragement be sent to each inactive LEPC county EMD coordinators.

• February 2017 letters sent and staff follow up implemented.

• SCEMD regional staff (REMs) 6 month priority to focus on all LEPCs especially inactive ones.

• SC SERC has contacted NC SERC staff for best practices of a NC regional LEPC.

SPARTANBURG

GREENVILLE

McCORMICK

DORCHESTER

OCONEE

PICKENS

ANDERSONLAURENS

ABBEVILLE

GREENWOOD

NEWBERRY

SALUDA

EDGEFIELD

YORK

UNION

CHEROKEE

CHESTER

FAIRFIELD

RICHLANDLEXINGTON

AIKEN CALHOUN

LANCASTER CHESTERFIELDMARLBORO

DILLONKERSHAW DARLINGTON

LEE

SUMTER

FLORENCE

MARION

HORRY

CLARENDON WILLIAMSBURG

BERKELEY

GEORGETOWN

CHARLESTON

ORANGEBURG

BARNWELLBAMBERG

ALLENDALE

HAMPTONCOLLETON

JASPER

BEAUFORT

21

43

6

SC Emergency Management Division

Regional EM Program

6 - Gretchen Birt (REM) Larry “Rocky” Tucker (REC) Johnny Thomas (REP)

3 - Bethany Morton (REM) Vacant (REC)Vacant (REP)

1 - Scot Yarbrough (REM) Elizabeth Price (REC) Kimberly Shiverdecker (REP)

5 - Brandon Ellis (REM)Benjamin Almquist (REC)

4 - Jim Grant (REM) Gregory Haselden (REC) Kristina Gamble (REP)

2 - Jim Moore (REM)Emily Fish (REC)D. Beaufot (REP)

• 6 managers, 6 coord.• 6 regions• Working directlywith counties• Field based

Robinson

Vogtle/SRS

VC Summer

Oconee

Catawba

LEPC UDTATE – March 2017


Requirements of SC LEPCs

• Create an emergency response plan that contains the nine essential elements

• Designate the authorizing authority on E‐Plan software

• Create a process to develop, implement, and exercise the emergency plan

• Submit the plan annually for review to SERC


Nine Planning Elements1. Identification of facilities and transportation routes of extremely

hazardous substances (Commodity flow studies & Tier II)2. Description of emergency response procedures, on and off site3. Designation of a community coordinator and facility emergency

coordinator(s) to implement the plan4. Outline of emergency notification procedures5. Description of how to determine the probable affected area and

population by releases (County‐level risk assessments)6. Description of local emergency equipment and facilities and the

persons responsible for them 7. Outline of evacuation plans 8. A training program for emergency responders (HMEP & Tier II)9. Methods and schedules for exercising emergency response plans

(HMEP & Tier II)


Role of the LEPC

The role of LEPCs is to form partnerships with local industries and governments as a resource for enhancing hazardous materials preparedness. Local governments are responsible for the integration of planning and response. There are many steps in this process:Ensuring a local hazards analysis is accomplished and includes hazmat incidents as well as potential off site effects of facility releases


Role of the LEPC Continued

It is essential for industry to play a part in this process to ensure facility response plans and capabilities dovetail with local government emergency plans. Misperceptions between industry and local response forces can have a catastrophic impact on not only the facility, but on the citizens we are pledged to serve. According to EPCRA, every facility subject to regulation is required to identify and provide the name of a facility “Emergency Coordinator,” report types/quantities of regulated chemicals on the site, providing MSDSs, and permitting local fire departments to inspect their facilities.

Benefits of a Regional LEPC


• Regional LEPCs bring more people, larger membership and diversity.

• Regional LEPCs bring better presentations, more variety and new ideas.

• You get more industries that can host meetings and give tours which promotes interest.

• Smaller counties may not be able to support an independent, active LEPC based on their local population of industries and first responders. The primary benefits are that the regional LEPCs can pool their resources to tackle larger projects. In many cases these counties already work together on other emergency preparedness activities, so the LEPC becomes another formal avenue for collaboration and coordination.



• Some counties have very few Tier II or RMP facilities in their jurisdiction. In that case it often makes sense for them to partner with neighboring counties that have those facilities, as the primary hazardous materials risk they likely face is transportation

• SC Depart of Commerce can assist with determining most current businesses in the county

• Individual counties may not have enough first responders to justify/support bringing in outside trainers or equipment for specialized courses. By regionalizing the LEPC can get a better handle on training needs across the entire area and target training programs to meet the needs of all participating agencies.



• Regional planning gives a more complete picture for commodity flow studies and other risk analyses. Hazmat is moving all the time throughout the state, so a regional LEPC can help smaller counties find out what may be moving through their backyard on the way to a neighbor.

• Training officers, fire marshals, etc. can all meet and plan from the regional perspective versus county only.

• Multiple counties can take turns annually at hosting free HMEP funded Hazmat training.



• If counties are naturally grouped together by demographics (such as a major industrial center surrounded by bedroom communities) it may make sense for them to form a regional LEPC with a lead and support model.

• You may learn about hazardous materials that travel through your region that you were not aware of.

• Regionalization will help SCEMD and the SERC provide better support to LEPCs with our limited resources. Trying to support 46 LEPCs is challenging.



• The important message to relay to potential members of the LEPC is the benefit to their company through safer working conditions, sharing best practices and community involvement. Membership should be closely aligned with the SERC.

• Regional LEPCs are eligible for larger HMEP sub‐grants than single county LEPCs. This allows them to do more ambitious projects such as hiring a contractor to collect all of their Tier II data and map it showing other facilities and at risk populations.



• Other Regional LEPCs have done larger full‐scale exercises that brought in responders from multiple counties.

• Another Regional LEPC hired a contractor to review and revise their respective EOPs, and the regional LEPC allowed them to pool resources and get it done cost effectively.



• The Chair of a regional LEPC said “The purpose of bringing the four counties together is that we are fairly small counties and we realize that we cannot do it on our own. So we need to expand out.”

• The focus is on how to prepare and approach emergency situations. The members also will explore ways to safely handle hazardous materials.


Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)

The Role of State and Local Governmental Authorities

EPCRA is unique among Federal environmental laws in that Congress specifically requires state and local governmental authorities to administer the majority of the law by receiving reports and notifications, planning for emergencies and by providing the public with access to submitted information.


Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act

(EPCRA)The Role of State and Local Governmental

Authorities Continued

In order to achieve these objectives, Sections 310 and 303 of EPCRA mandate the creation of two state and local organizations: the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). In addition, EPCRA also requires facilities to send certain reports and notifications to existing local fire departments.

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