Address: 332 E. State St Street Huntington, IN 46750
Email: robert.jeffers@huntington.in.us
Chairperson: Robert Jeffers, Emergency Management
Information Coordinator: Tim Allen
Planning Coordinator: Tony Johnson
The creation of the IERC was mandated by the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986. It is charged with maintaining Title III records in Indiana as well as with supervising and coordinating the activities of Indiana's 91 local emergency planning committees (LEPC).
The LEPCs are composed of elected state and local officials; representatives from law enforcement, emergency management, firefighting, emergency medical services, health, local environmental management, hospital management, transportation, broadcast and print media; community groups; and owners and operators of facilities storing and using Title III chemicals.
Each LEPC is charged with developing an emergency response plan to deal with accidental chemical releases from Title III facilities in its county and with making available to the general public chemical information submitted by those facilities. The LEPCs are funded through EPCRA under Indiana Code (IC) 6-10.
The federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act became law in 1986. Title III of these SARA provisions is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). SARA Title III requires states to:
Specifically, this has required the establishment of state emergency response commissions and local emergency planning committees. The nationwide regulated community of manufacturers and non-manufacturers of hazardous chemicals must report concerning their emergency chemical releases; their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS); their facility hazardous chemical inventories (Tier I and Tier II reports); and their toxic chemical releases to the air, land or water (Toxics Release Inventory).
Because of this activity, businesses have reassessed their chemical inventories and their manufacturing processes. In addition, more businesses are working cooperatively with local governments to plan for and try to prevent an accidental chemical release.
Businesses are also pursuing waste minimization and pollution prevention programs and realizing monetary savings.