Please Visit Our Sponsors:

1. In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Public Law 99-499, also known as EPCRA or SARA Title III.  Section 301 of this legislation required each governor to appoint a state emergency response commission (SERC).
2. In 1987 the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) was established under the direction of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).  Also at this time, the SERC appointed a Local Emergency Planning Committee for each city and town within the Commonwealth.
3. In 1996, the SERC created a certification process for all LEPCs within the Commonwealth.  Only LEPCs that are recognized by the state are considered official Local Emergency Planning Committees.
4. Local Emergency Planning Committees have four basic functions by law:
   1. To develop a comprehensive emergency plan for the community and keep the plan up-to-date.  The Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan is authorized and regulated under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986, Public Law 99-499, Massachusetts General Law c21E, 310 CMR 40.0000 (The Massachusetts Contingency Plan) and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.  Other supporting legislation exists in the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act section 112 R, the National Contingency Plan, and Disaster Relief Programs.  Chapter 639 Acts of 1950 and E.O. 242 requires emergency planning at the community level.
   2. To receive information about accidental hazardous material releases.
   3. To collect, manage, and provide public access to information on hazardous chemicals in the community.
   4. To educate the public about risks from accidental and routine releases of chemicals and work with facilities to minimize associated risks.

1. The Framingham LEPC receives and maintains Tier II information for over 50 sites in Framingham that are required to report hazardous materials under SARA Title III.  Tier II reports are forms that are required for all facilities having more than a certain amount of hazardous materials onsite at any time.  Facilities are required to submit these hazardous materials inventory forms to provide state and local officials, as well as the general public, with specific information on hazardous materials present at facilities.
2. The Framingham LEPC also creates pre-planning tools for responses to potential hazardous chemical spills by utilizing CAMEO software as well as mapping and pluming techniques with MARPLOT and ALOHA software.  CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) is a system of software applications used to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies.  CAMEO integrates a chemical database and methods to manage the data, an air dispersion model (ALOHA), and a mapping capability (MARPLOT).  ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres) is an atmospheric dispersion model used for evaluating releases of hazardous chemical vapors.  MARPLOT (Mapping Applications for Response, Planning, and Local Operational Tasks) is a mapping application which uses US Census information to display possible hazard areas.  Members of both the Framingham Fire Department and Police Department are trained in the use of these software applications.  Our only current shortfall is that the software is not available for emergency personnel via computers in responding emergency vehicles.
3. In addition to its formal responsibilities, the LEPC serves as a focal point in the community for information and discussions about hazardous substances, emergency planning, and health and environmental risks.

The State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) is responsible for certifying and monitoring all LEPCs within the Commonwealth.  In addition, the SERC is in charge of coordinating training, education, technical assistance and outreach activities for Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, or SARA.  The SERC plays a major role in determining which local LEPCs will receive funding and grants for training, planning, and exercising.

The following agencies are represented on the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Commission (SERC):

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
Mass. Fire Chiefs Association
Mass. Department of Fire Services
Mass. Department of Environmental Protection
Members of the public appointed by the SERC chairperson
Mass. Department of Public Health
Mass. Association of Hazmat Technicians
(3) Members of LEPCs
Mass. Highway Department
Mass. State Police
Members of Environmental Organization appointed by the SERC chairperson
Associated Industries of Mass.
Trucking Association
Mass. Chemical Technology Alliance
Mass. Chiefs of Police Association
Criminal Justice Training Council
Mass. Bay Transportation Authority
Mass. Municipal Association
Mass. Turnpike Authority
Office of Emergency Medical Services
Members of State Legislature
Professional Firefighters of Mass.
Attorney General
Member of Mass. Call/Volunteer Firefighter Association

c.       The State Emergency Response Committee (SERC) consists of 5 Subcommittees:

1. Training Committee
2. LEPC Liaison Committee
3. Information and Technology Committee
4. Legislative Committee
5. Response Committee

The Framingham LEPC currently has a member serving on both the LEPC Liaison Committee and the Information and Technology Committee.

What are the levels of certification for LEPCs?

1. The certification process was created by the Massachusetts SERC to be a management tool and standard by which all LEPCs in the Commonwealth are judged equally, and was designed to ensure all LEPCs are meeting the goals and missions of SARA Title III.  There are currently three levels of certification:  start-up, provisional, and full.
   
1. Committees with start-up certification have agreed to meet the criteria set forth in the full certification criteria, but are not able to meet various criteria due to the newness of the committee.
2. With provisional certification the committee meets most of the criteria set forth in the legislation and application process.
3. A committee with full certification meets all of the criteria set forth in the legislation and application process and is in compliance with SARA Title III regulations and SERC directives.  In addition, it is eligible to apply for EPA grants and SERC grants for planning, training, and exercising emergency plans.
4. A committee that either does not meet the minimum criteria for certification or has not applied for certification is considered a non-certified committee.  This committee will not be eligible for funding.  It will also be subject to inclusion in an existing LEPC at some point in the future.
   
2. The Town of Framingham LEPC is one of only 5 LEPCs in the Commonwealth that have been certified as full Local Emergency Planning Committees.  The other fully certified LEPCs are:  Waltham, Springfield, Cambridge, and Holyoke.

October 9, 1998
Framingham applied for Start-Up Certification as a Local Emergency Planning Committee.

October 27, 1999
Framingham was approved by the state as a certified Start-Up LEPC.

October 17, 2000
Framingham applied for Provisional Certification and asked for consideration for Full Certification since the committee felt that all of the requirements had been met to become a fully certified LEPC.

June 18, 2001
Framingham became the 5^th LEPC in the state to be awarded full certification.

What is the mission statement of the Framingham LEPC?

The Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee’s mission shall be to enhance and create plans directing the response to hazardous materials incidents, increase compliance with hazardous materials reporting requirements and to continue to offer access to information on the storage of such materials, for the benefit of the town’s residents and businesses.  The Committee shall carry out its mission in Framingham in compliance with SARA Title III and other federal, state and local requirements in such a way that meets both the letter and spirit of those requirements and that enhances and encourages a partnership between town residents and businesses through an exchange of information and mutual planning.

Does the Framingham LEPC have established by-laws:

Yes, please see the attached by-laws.

Does the Framingham LEPC have a Hazardous Materials Plan that is approved by the SERC?

1. Yes.  As part of our application for full certification, the Framingham LEPC submitted a Hazardous Plan that consists of over 200 pages of useful material, which took over 100 hours to complete.
2. The Hazardous Materials Plan includes the identity and location of hazardous materials, procedures for immediate response to a chemical accident; ways to notify the public about actions they must take; names of coordinators at plants; and special populations at risk that are in close proximity to sites with hazardous chemicals.
3. In order to formulate such a comprehensive plan, members of the Framingham LEPC conducted a great deal of research and spent a great deal of time gathering information to be incorporated into such a plan.
   
   1. All hazardous material information in the Town’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan had to be updated before the Hazardous Materials plan could be formulated. 
   2. The LEPC had to gather information from all hazardous sites within the town concerning their own emergency plan and resources currently at their sites that could be utilized in the event of a hazardous materials spill.
   3. All shelters in the community had to be visited, evaluated, and approved by the American Red Cross.
   4. Information had to be gathered from all special needs facilities that are considered vulnerable due to their close proximity to facilities that currently have hazardous materials on site.  This involved obtaining population totals for all special populations.  The Town of Framingham is home to many special needs facilities including:  9 Nursing Homes, 27 Group Homes/Residential Facilities, 1 major hospital, and 1 State Prison.  In addition the following number of schools are located in Framingham:  14 public schools (including 1 vocational school), 8 private schools, 1 Community College, and 1 State College.  All of these sites were mapped using the Town’s mapping system in order to determine their vulnerability in relation to hazardous materials facilities.
   5. Under the training section of the Local Emergency Planning Committee requirements, Framingham is required to provide Incident Command System training.  Incident Command System (ICS) is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure with responsibility for the management of assigned resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertaining to the incident.  In accordance with OSHA regulation 29CFR 1910.120 and EPA regulation 40CFR 311, the Incident Command System must be used when dealing with any Hazardous Materials Incidents.

6. In order to provide the community with education and information on hazardous facilities, the Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee developed a website:  www.framinghamma.org

What are the benefits to being a fully certified LEPC?

1. Fully certified LEPCs are eligible and given priority for EPA and SERC grants related to training, planning, and exercising emergency response plans.
2. As a whole, fully certified LEPCs are better prepared to deal with accidental and incidental hazardous chemical releases.
3. Fully certified LEPCs are customer service oriented in that citizen requests under the Right To Know Act are supplied in a timely and efficient manner.
4. LEPCs that are fully certified hold a stronger position against litigation in that they have the mandated plans and procedures in place to deal with a hazardous chemical release or spill.
5. Fully certified LEPCs have the legal authority to request additional information from facilities for their own planning purposes or on behalf of others.
6. LEPCs that are fully certified can take civil actions against facilities if they fail to provide the information required under SARA Title III.