Ready Communities

Hazardous Materials

State, tribal, and local agencies are required to prepare for, respond to, and protect the community from chemical accidents.

Overview

The Hazardous Materials Safety Program governs the state's 67 local emergency planning committees, more than 3,700 chemical planning facilities, and Hazardous Materials Response Team certification.

We also provide emergency planning assistance to Marcellus Shale unconventional well sites, compressor stations, and the intricate pipeline system — all in coordination with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as volunteer organizations.

A hazardous material is any item or agent (biological, chemical, radiological, and/or physical) that has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment — either by itself or through interaction with other factors.

Local Emergency Planning Committees

Each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties is a local emergency planning district that is required to have a local emergency planning committee.

Local commtitees are overseen by the State Emergency Response Commission, which is led by us here at PEMA.

Role of Committees

Planning committees and the State Emergency Response Commission have four primary responsibilities:

Prepare emergency plans to protect the public from chemical accidents.
Establish warning and evacuation procedures for the public.
Collect information used in the preparation of annual reports about the release of toxic chemicals.
Provide local governments and the public with information about hazardous chemicals and accidental releases in their communities.

In addition to chemical facility planning, counties can leverage the experience and expertise of their emergency planning committee members to perform all-hazard planning for things like tornadoes, flooding, and hurricanes. This all-hazard approach ensures that each planning district can create plans to protect their communities.

Who Is on the Committees?

Members are appointed by the director of PEMA from a list of nominees submitted by the county's governing body. Every committee must include someone from each of these categories:

Broadcast/Communications Media	Newspaper, website developers, public information, RACES, ham radio clubs, local weather reporters
Community Groups	County extension office, environmental groups [such as Sierra Club, conservation groups, Audubon Society], school environmental program director
Emergency Management	Emergency preparedness coordinator, emergency coordinators for businesses
Emergency Medical Services	Director of county ambulance, EMS technicians
Facility Owners/Operators	Any representative from a facility using or storing hazardous materials in the county
First Responders	Fire chief, firefighters
Health Professionals	County health department, doctors, mental health hospital, hospital administrator/director, poison control center
Law Enforcement	Police officers, police chief, sheriff, deputies
Local Environmental Groups	County extension office, environmental groups [such as Sierra Club, conservation groups, Audubon Society], school environmental program director
Print Media	Daily or weekly newspaper editors, reporters, trade journal editors/reporters
State/Local Officials	Commissioner, sheriff, county clerk, attorney, mayor, state representative, state emergency management, or environmental agency official
Transportation	Highway department, school bus director, airport authority, tracking company, transit
Other	Residents, homeowners association, ministers, school administrators, science teachers

Planning Facilities

More than 3,600 planning facilities have been identified in Pennsylvania. More than 97 percent of their required plans have been reviewed by us and found to adequately provide for the health and safety of the public.

A facility is designated a "planning facility" if its on-hand quantities of chemicals designated as extremely hazardous substances exceed the threshold planning quantity on the Environmental Protection Agency's List of Lists.