The Purpose of an Emergency Response Plan
Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)
- Federal law passed by Congress in 1986
- Triggered by the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India
- Addressed hazmat planning and reporting for all levels of government
- New Jersey addressed EPCRA compliance in 1987 when Gov. Kean issued Executive Order #161 establishing NJ’s State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)
- In January 2022, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order #284, clarifying the role and responsibilities of the SERC and providing flexibility to redistrict, together increasing the effectiveness of the SERC’s supervision.
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
- The Hazardous Material Control Board (HMCB) serves as the City of Clifton's LEPC
- There is representation from 12 required groups including elected officials, EMS, Local Media, Emergency Management, Health Department, Community Groups, Law Enforcement, Local environmental and transportation, Facility representatives, Fire Service, Hospitals, and Local Businesses.
- Responsibilities of the LEPC include:
- Develop an emergency response plan (off-site ERP) for their community/district
- Update the (off-site) ERP at least annually
- Establish procedures for receiving reports from facilities
- Complete (off-site) ERPs and review/exercise them annually
- Provide public access to review (off-site) ERPs
What is an Emergency Response Plan?
Under federal law, the City of Clifton is required to have a plan to cover facilities that store hazardous materials classified under the EPCRA.