Like weather events, the Mid-Ohio Valley has seen its share of chemical accidents and emergencies. The local manufactures and facilities work very hard to prevent these types of accidents, and plan for the times when they do happen. An organization that helps plan for such incidents is the LEPC.

  Local Emergency Planning Committees  were established by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), which include emergency planning and community right-to-know requirements.

The purpose of the LEPC is:

• Development, training, and testing of the hazardous substances emergency response plan for the community
•  Development of procedures for regulated facilties to provide informational and emergency notification to the LEPC
• Development of procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public under EPCRA
•  Provision for public notification of LEPC activities
• A major role for LEPCs is to work with industry and the interested public to encourage continuous attention to chemical safety, risk reduction, and accident prevention by each local stakeholder.

  Other organizations, such as Citizens Corps, Red Cross, and EMA help citizens prepare by offering educational materials and programs such as CERT, Shelter-in-Place, and other activites.

Citizens should take steps to prepare themselves,such as take classes, prepare kits, and get involved in community prepardness.