HOUSTON — Thousands of chemical facilities are scattered across Texas. But unless you see a smoke stack at a large plant, you may not know what exactly is stored next door to your home.
So in 1986 the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know act was passed. It was created in response to concerns regarding the environmental and safety hazards posed by the storage and handling of toxic chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that the concerns “were triggered by the 1984 disaster in Bhopal, India, caused by an accidental release of methylisocyanate. The release killed or severely injured more than 2000 people.”
To reduce the chance of a disaster like that in the United States, Congress imposed requirements for federal, state and local governments.
The Community Right-to-Know provisions increase the public’s knowledge and access to information on chemicals at individual facilities, their uses, and releases into the environment.
In 2018 the America’s Water Infrastructure Act was added to the emergency release notification and the hazardous chemical inventory reporting requirements. That legislations requires state response commissions to notify the applicable state agency of any reportable releases and provide community water systems with hazardous chemical inventory data.
So what are the Community Right-to-Know requirements? Facilities handling or storing any hazardous chemicals must submit Material Safety Data Sheets to state and local officials and local fire departments. Hazardous chemicals are defined under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and its implementing regulations. MSDSs describe the properties and health effects of these chemicals. Facilities must also submit an inventory form for these chemicals, to state and local officials and local fire departments.
So in Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality oversees “Local Emergency Planning Committees” or LEPCs. They are voluntary organizations that collect the information required under the Community Right-to-Know Act. Membership in a LEPC comes from different organizations including the chemical industry, fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement, city or county emergency management and residents.
And each LEPC holds public meetings to discuss chemical facilities that impact the public.
All info courtesy ReadyHarris.org.
Meets: The 4th Tuesday of every month (no meeting in July or December)
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Deer Park City Hall
710 East San AugustineDeer Park, TX 77536
Chairman: James J. Stokes - Deer Park City Manager
Vice Chair: Kevin Machemehl - Oxy Vinyls
Contact: Shannon Bennett
sbennet@deerparktx.org
281-478-7247
Meets: The last Tuesday of every other month (January, March, May, etc.)
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Alvin D. Baggett Community Building
1302 Keene Street
Galena Park, TX 77547
LEPC Contact Name & Number:
Jorge Flores, EMC of Galena Park
jorge.flores@cityofgalenapark-tx.gov
713-672-2566
http://gparklepc.wix.com/galena-park-lepc
Chairman: Jorge Flores, EMC of Galena Park
jorge.flores@cityofgalenapark-tx.gov
Vice-Chair: David Clark - Targa Resources
dbclark@targaresources.com
713-675-3471
Meets: The 3rd Tuesday of every month
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Office of Emergency Management
205 E. Wye Drive
Baytown, TX 77521
Chairman: Tony Irby - LCY Elastomers
281-424-6149
tirby@lcyalastomers.com
Vice Chair: Larry Cloud - Dow Pipeline
lpcloud@dow.com
LEPC Contact: Misty Bridges
baytownlepc@gmail.com
512-665-0908
Meets: Quarterly
Location: Rotational
Chairman: Joe Leonard - PENTA
Joseph.J.Leonard.Jr@gmail.com
Vice Chair: Rick Deel - Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
rick.deel@oem.hctx.net
832-260-7852
Administrator: David Wade
ghclepc@oem.hctx.net
713-545-9299
Meets: The last Wednesday of every other month (January, March, May etc.)
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: American Red Cross Building
2700 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77098
Chairman: Dr. Denise Chatam Walker
chair@ghlepc.org
713-628-3004
Vice Chair: Karen LaFleur
vicechair@ghlepc.org
www.ghlepc.org
James Nykaza - Emergency Management Coordinatorjnykaza@cityofhumble.net
281-446-4928
Carole Chambers - Emergency Management Assistant cchambers@humblepolice.com
281-446-4928
Meets concurrently with the North Channel LEPC
Meets: See website (www.nclepc.org) for meeting schedule
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Galena Park ISD Administration Building
14705 Wood Forest Blvd.
Houston, TX 77015
Chairman: Lon Squyers - Jacinto City
Administrator: Debbie Husband
nclepc@jacintocity-tx.gov
Meets: A member of Greater Harris County LEPC / Meets quarterly
Chairman: Mark Bitz - Fire Chief, City of Jersey Village
mbitz@ci.jersey-village.tx.us
713-466-2130
Meets: Currently meeting with the Greater Houston LEPCs
Chairman: Greg Goedecker, EMC
oem@cityofkaty.com
281-574-8633
Katy Fire Department
1417 Ave. D
Katy 77493
Location: Galena Park ISD Administration Building
14705 Wood Forest Blvd.
Houston, TX 77015
Chairman: Lon Squyers - Jacinto City
Administrator: Debbie Husband
nclepc@jacintocity-tx.gov
713-806-4557
Chairman:
Eric Vega - Fire Marshal/EMC
City of South Houston
email: evega@shpdtx.org
Meets: See website for schedule
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Pasadena Convention Center
7902 Fairmont Parkway
Pasadena, TX 77507
Chairman: Ben Reese - Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority
breese@gcwda.com
Vice Chair: Darryl Ramsaywak - Arkema
darryl.ramsaywak@arkema.com
LEPC Contact Number:
Josephine Espinosa
jespinosa@ci.pasadena.tx.us
Meets: 4th Wednesday Each Month
Time: 08:30
Location: Tomball Fire Department Main Station 1
1200 Rudel Rd.
Tomball, TX 77375
Chairman: Randy Parr - Fire Chief, City of Tomball
Contact: Barbara Tague
4tague@sbcglobal.net
713-851-0737
Fort Bend County
Website with agendas and meeting announcements:
https://fbcoem.org/lepc/
Brazoria County
Info source
Brazoria County’s L.E.P.C. normally meets every third Tuesday of odd numbered months at 11:30 am.
Next meeting is on March 17, 2020 at the Sheriff’s Office Training Room
Montgomery County
Does readily offer any info:
You need to email their LEPC mclepc@mctx.org
Or call the Montgomery County Fire Marshal for more info
501 N Thompson, Suite 102, Conroe, Texas 77301
Phone: 936-538-8288
Fax: 936-538-8277
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