Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

Contact information:  
For more information on your LEPC, please email Tarrant County Emergency Management at tcoem@tarrantcountytx.gov  

History: 
The Tarrant County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) exists to strengthen community preparedness around hazardous materials and ensure transparency through the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). The LEPC brings together local officials, emergency responders, industry representatives, and community members to coordinate chemical emergency planning, improve response capabilities, and maintain public access to important chemical safety information. The committee also serves as a central point for residents seeking information on hazardous material locations, emergency planning efforts, or community safety procedures.

Under EPCRA, the LEPC is responsible for maintaining and annually reviewing the county’s emergency response plan, receiving chemical inventory reports, and establishing procedures for public information requests. Facilities that store hazardous chemicals are required to submit Tier II reports to TCEQ, local fire departments, and the LEPC.

For Tier II guidance, reporting instructions, and statewide requirements, visit the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Tier II Chemical Reporting page at Tier II Chemical Reporting - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - www.tceq.texas.gov

Legal Responsibilities:
The major legal responsibilities of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are listed as follows. The citations are from the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Public Law 99-499.

Each LEPC:

  • Shall review local emergency management plans once a year, or more frequently as circumstances change in the community or as any facility may require (Section 303(a)).
  • Shall make available each MSDS, chemical list described in Section 311(a)(2) or Tier II report, inventory form, and follow-up emergency notice to the general public, consistent with Section 322, during normal working hours at a location designated by the LEPC (Section 324(a)).
  • Shall establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public for information under Section 324, including Tier II information under Section 312. Such procedures shall include the designation of an official to serve as coordinator for information (Section 301(c)).
  • Shall receive from each subject facility the name of a facility representative who will participate in the emergency planning process as a facility emergency coordinator (Section 303(d)).
  • Shall be informed by the community emergency coordinator of hazardous chemical releases reported by owners or operators of covered facilities (Section 304(b)(1)(a)).
  • Shall be given follow-up emergency information as soon as practical after a release, which requires the owner/operator to submit a notice (Section 304(c)).
  • Shall receive from the owner or operator of any facility a MSDS for each such chemical (upon request of the LEPC or fire department), or a list of such chemicals as described (Section 311(a)).
  • Shall, upon request by any person, make available an MSDS to the person in accordance with Section 324 (Section 311(a)).
  • Shall receive from the owner or operator of each facility an emergency and hazardous chemical inventory form (Section 312(a)).
  • Shall respond to a request for Tier II information no later than 45 days after the date of receipt of the request (Section 312(e)).
  • May commence a civil action against an owner or operator of a facility for failure to provide information under Section 303(d) or for failure to submit Tier II information under Section 312(e)(1) (Section 326(a)(2)(B)).