Baltimore County Local Emergency Planning Committee Charter

Article I - Name

The name of this committee, as originally established November 9, 1987, shall be the Baltimore County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

Article II – Purpose

To serve the Baltimore County Maryland government in an advisory capacity; to facilitate the coordination of effort by response agencies and resources with regard to hazardous materials incidents, through maintenance and administration of the Baltimore County Emergency Operations Plan as it relates to hazardous materials. The LEPC’s activities shall include the following:

• Maintaining compliance with hazardous materials regulations, such as SARA Title III (which established SERC’s and LEPC’s) including EPCRA, as amended, as well as other directly relevant Federal and State regulations as they apply.
• Revising the plan to keep it current and distributing the revisions to appropriate responders.
• Conducting public awareness and education programs designed to create an informed and knowledgeable public.
• Assuring that drills and subsequent critiques are conducted on a regular basis to test the effectiveness of the Plan.
• Monitoring and evaluating the level of preparedness of responders and resources.
• Reviewing and coordinating critiques of actual hazardous materials incidents.
• Studying recent developments and regulations in the field of hazardous materials.
• Providing formal recommendations concerning hazardous materials response and preparedness to the County Executive’s office and appropriate agencies.

Article III – Officers

The LEPC shall have the following officers:

• A Chairman, the primary representatives of the Baltimore County Fire Department
• A Vice-Chairman, elected at large
• A Secretary, elected at large

Article IV - Membership
The membership could include, but is not limited to, the following -- all serving at the pleasure of the County Executive:

• Baltimore County Department of Environmental Resource Management (DEPRM)
• Baltimore County Fire Department
• Baltimore County Police Department
• Baltimore County Health Department
• Baltimore County Schools
• Baltimore County Bureau of Utilities
• Baltimore County Sheriff ’s Office
• Baltimore County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Baltimore County Executive Office, and/or elected representative’s office
• Community Representatives
• Baltimore Gas & Electric
• Maryland Air National Guard
• Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
• Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Maryland State Police
• Media
• Medical community, including hospitals
• South Baltimore Industrial Mutual Aid Plan (SBIMAP)
• Transportation industry
• County industries and businesses.

Article V – Bylaws

Bylaws may be amended through a process by which the proposed changes are distributed in writing, or via e-mail, to committee members at least 15 days prior to the next scheduled meeting; and then adopted at the meeting by a favorable vote of two-thirds of a quorum or a majority of members present, whichever is greater.

Revised September 10, 2008