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Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

By-Laws

Jurisdiction

The Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee shall have the responsibility for the Town of Framingham, Massachusetts.

Membership

The Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee shall include representatives of each of the membership categories prescribed in the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA). These categories include: 1. Elected state and local officials, 2. Law enforcement, 3. Civil Defense (EOC), 4. Firefighting, 5. First Aid (EMS), 6. Health, 7. Local environmental, 8. Hospital, 9. Transportation personnel, 10. Broadcast and print media, 11. Community groups, 12. Facility owners and operators, 13. Department of Public Works. There shall be representatives from education: Framingham Public Schools, Framingham State College. There shall be representatives from the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay and from the Massachusetts Correctional Institute (MCI). Representatives of surrounding LEPCs, the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Commission, Massachusetts Emergency Management and the United States Environmental Protection Agency are encouraged to participate as affiliate members of the Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee.

The Framingham LEPC encourages all facilities within the Town of Framingham to participate as members. The facilities with extremely hazardous substances are encouraged to participate in committee activity as well as those with a type of hazardous material usage. The committee also invites involvement representatives from the business community that may not use hazardous chemicals but could be impacted by hazardous material emergencies, or are interested in participating in the emergency planning process.

Representatives to the LEPC from the Town of Framingham departments shall be appointed by the division head. Community groups within the Town of Framingham are encouraged to participate in the LEPC.

The chairperson will seek members from other categories as necessary.

A membership list of the Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee shall be posted with the Town Clerk.

Officers

The officers of the committee shall include a chairperson and a secretary. In the event of a vacancy, an election shall be held at the next scheduled meeting of the committee or at a special meeting. All committee members shall be eligible to vote.

Sub-Committees

Business of the Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee is generally conducted as a committee of the whole. The one permanent sub-committee will be the exercise planning committee. The chairperson may form additional sub-committees or special committees as needed.

Meetings

The Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee shall meet at least twice per year. Sub-committees shall meet as needed. At least one exercise of the plan shall be conducted each year. All meetings will be conducted in accordance with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

Meeting notices shall be posted at the Framingham Town Hall, Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street, Framingham, at least one week in advance of the meeting. All LEPC members shall be notified at least fifteen days in advance of a meeting. Notification to members may be by US Mail, facsimile or e-mail.

Any member wishing to place an item on the agenda shall contact the Chairperson at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting.

A quorum shall be fifty percent of membership categories.

Records

All records of the committees shall be considered public domain. This does not apply to Tier II report information that has been submitted under the confidentiality provisions of the EPCRA Law. The records of the Framingham Local Emergency Planning Committee shall be held at the Town of Framingham Emergency Management Office, 10 Loring Drive, Framingham, Massachusetts, 01702. Records include meeting agenda, meeting minutes, attendance, and exercise summaries.

The annual chemical inventory filing records will be maintained in the LEPC database. Updated information from the filings will be posted with the Town Clerk. Copies of the information are available through the Right to Know request process as outlined in the plan.

By-Law Changes

These By-Laws may be changed by a simple majority vote. Any change of the By-Laws shall be required to be posted on the meeting agenda for which it is discussed.