Hazardous Waste LEPC

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Hazardous Materials Planning

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, gives Local Emergency Planning Committees the job of increasing chemical safety in our communities.  Florida’s Accident Prevention Program adds the additional duty to help prevent chemical accidents from happening in the first place.  An emergency response plan for the North Central Florida Region is maintained by the Committee.

The Committee helped to get Florida’s new Accident Prevention Program started by working with all stakeholders.  Technical assistance was provided to many of our municipalities that use ton-containers of Chlorine and thus were required to file Risk Management Plans with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A second project is the regional hazmat team, based primarily on Gainesville Fire Rescue’s hazmat team.  Council staff assisted the Committee in writing an interlocal agreement to allow responders from different counties and cities to coordinate their actions better at a chemical spill.  These local governments also adopted cost recovery ordinances so that the spiller, and not the local government, pays the cost of an emergency response to a chemical spill.

Grants from the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Program funds training programs.  Free hazardous materials emergency response training classes are held for first responders including firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical, and public works personnel.  Over 2,400 first responders have been trained as part of this program.  Advanced Hazardous Materials Medical Technician and Radiation classes are also co-sponsored with Gainesville Fire Rescue.

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