Office of Emergency Management

Planning for the Safety of La Crosse County Residents in the Event of an Emergency

Emergency Preparedness and Response Legal & Regulatory Resources
www.Fema-Law.com 

La Crosse County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Hazardous Materials Program
The Hazardous Materials Program is coordinated by Keith Butler (608) 789-4811 and includes direction of the La Crosse County Local Emergency Planning Committee. The program involves compliance with SARA Title III planning and record keeping, available training for fire fighters, first responders etc., community outreach on hazardous materials issues and other mandated requirements. SARA Title III covers Hazardous Materials Facilities in the La Crosse County LEPC Jurisdiction with legally defined quantities of hazardous materials.

Emergency Planning And Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA)
EPCRA (Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act or SARA Title III) was passed in 1986. The law responded to the 1984 release of methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India and to some smaller but similar accidental releases in this country. The Bhopal release resulted in over 2000 prompt fatalities and hundreds of thousands of injuries.

EPCRA requires:

• Development of plans to respond to accidental releases.

• Immediate notification of public officials when releases occur.

• Making chemical hazard and inventory data available to the public.

• Making toxic chemical release information available to the public.

EPCRA establishes Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) which implement or oversee compliance along with Wisconsin Emergency Management.

The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for La Crosse County is mandated by Federal and State regulations to Plan and Mitigate for, Respond to and Recover from ALL Hazardous Materials emergencies. Numerous elements are integrated into this process and the assistance from many people is required to meet the requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The representatives that are mandated to participate in the Local LEPC are:

• Chemical Industry

• Citizens

• Government Officials

• Private Business

• Transportation

• Law Enforcement

• Fire Service

• Corporations

• Environmental Organizations

• Hospitals

• Civil Defense

• Print & Broadcast Media

• Community Groups

Hazardous Materials Facilities in the La Crosse County LEPC Jurisdiction
Tier II reports are required under SARA Title III by March 1st each year for the prior calendar year. Any facility with inventories over the threshold planning quantity must complete these forms and send copies to the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the State Emergency Response Board in Madison and the local fire department. For the most current list of the facilities, reporting hazardous materials inventories under SARA Title III Section 312, contact the La Crosse County Office of Emergency Management at (608) 789-4811.