Each LEPC is required to produce a plan for response to chemical emergencies. The plan must be reviewed by the LEPC and the SERC, and updated on a yearly basis. Citizens have the right to review the plan themselves and it must be made available to them. In Harford County the Hazardous Materials Response Plan is available for review at the following location:
Harford County Division of Emergency Operations 2220 Ady Road Forest Hill, MD 21050 Phone: 410-638-4900
Testing To make sure that the plan works the LEPC is required to conduct exercises to test the plan each year. These exercises can be a full scale exercise involving a realistic scenario or it can be a simple tabletop exercise. If the community is faced with a real chemical emergency where all elements of the plan are tested, they can use this to meet the testing requirements as well. The Harford County LEPC tests its plan yearly and has used each one of these exercise methods.
Proper Response Assurance To ensure proper response resources the chemicals that are stored in local facilities and transported through our communities must be known. Every facility that maintains over certain amounts of chemicals are required to report those chemicals for planning and community knowledge on a Tier II Form (PDF). Those reports are public information and are made available by the LEPC.