Local Emergency Planning Committee
Many of the chemicals, solvents, and other substances used every day in industry, farming, household cleaning,and even for purifying our drinking water can pose a potential hazard. When used properly, and stored safely, we seldom hear of a problem. However, accidents, fires and unforeseen circumstances do happen.
The mission of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is to protect the community from harmful and possibly life-threatening effects of a hazardous materials release by developing and implementing policies and procedures for complying with the Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know Act ( EPCRA ), Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986(SARA Title III).
The Horry County LEPC was formed to plan and prepare for Hazardous Materials emergencies. The committee is a volunteer organization with representatives from private industries along with emergency response agencies throughout Horry County. The group’s purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive emergency management plan to deal with hazardous materials incidents and to work with local facilities to minimize associated risks.
Tier II Reporting
Who is required to report? Any fixed facility with an Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS) at the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ), or 500 pounds, whichever is less, as identified in the US EPA Title III consolidated list of lists, is required to report. An example of the TPQ/500 pounds requirement is sulfuric acid, which has a TPQ of 1,000 pounds that drops to 500 pounds for Tier II reporting. You can find this list here. Any fixed facility with 10,000 pounds, or more, of a material with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that indicates an OSHA communicated health hazard, is required to report.
When are reports due? Reports are due no later than March 1st every year for materials maintained on-site during the previous calendar year.