United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5104)
EPA550-F99-014
October 1999
www.epa.gov/ceppo/
Community Safety Awards Program:
Lake County, Indiana LEPC
RMP Network is designed to share successful practices in RMP implementation, risk
communication, and use of the data. The projects detailed in RMP Network are easily
reproducible, low cost and promote partnership-building in the community. This fact
sheet does not provide extensive information about a project. Rather, it is intended to
help stakeholders generate ideas, identify tools and pinpoint funding sources for accident
preparedness and prevention initiatives.
Purpose
The Lake County, Indiana, Local Emergency Planning Committee has implemented a
Community Safety Awards Program to recognize significant achievements by industry
and municipalities in reducing risks to the public from chemical accidents. The LEPC
has implemented a Community Safety Awards program that encourages industry
representatives, among other things, to partner with other companies to ensure
compliance and to discuss and share Risk Management Plan (RMP) data, information
gathered under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, and
other hazard-related information with the public.
Background
Lessons learned from a controversy stemming from the transportation and incineration
of U.S. Navy surplus napalm at a facility located in Lake County spurred the LEPC to
find new approaches to risk management. Building on Department of Energy-prepared
materials, the LEPC developed a training program for emergency response to
radioactive material incidents. The LEPC plans to incorporate RMP data into its other
emergency management efforts.
Partnerships
The Lake County LEPC sponsored an RMP Working Group that includes: BP
AMOCO Whiting; U.S. Steel-Gary Works; Ispat Inland; Rhodia Chemical; Bethlehem
Steel; Keil Chemical; Cerestar USA; and Grand Calumet Task Force (a local
environmental group). The partners exchanged technical reporting approaches to
ensure consistency, held a joint public exposition to release information on facility
RMPs, and fostered the formation of an Industrial Emergency Response Network
comprised of 10 companies. The Network meets monthly to coordinate emergency
response and training efforts among the participating companies.
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
iQ, Printed on recycled paper
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Funding
Approximately $1,500 was used as seed money for the Awards Program.
Awards Criteria
Annual awards are given to industry and municipalities for risk reduction in any of the
three areas:
• Chemical Accident Prevention - lowering the potential for chemical accidents
through reductions in the use of hazardous chemicals. Examples include:
substitutions of a hazardous chemical with a less hazardous chemical or
reductions in chemical use. Entries are judged primarily on elimination of or
reduction in accident scenario vulnerability zones around the facility. Chemical
substitutions are favored over storage reductions that may increase deliveries.
• Emergency Preparedness - improvements to accident response preparations that
minimize risks to communities if a chemical accident occurs. Examples include:
installation of community warning systems, well-executed emergency drills or
table-top exercises and safety inspections by local emergency responders and
LEPC members.
• Community Outreach - productive and innovative efforts that inform the public
about chemical accident risks and respond to public suggestions about reducing
those risks. Examples include: significant achievements by community advisory
panels or facilitating public access to information such as RMPs, TRI reports, or
emergency response plans. Achievements will be judged by the amount of public
participation generated and whether the project surpassed regulatory
requirements or simple public relations techniques.
For more information, contact...
Name: William Timmer, Fire Chief and LEPC Chairman
Organization: Lake County Local Emergency Planning Committee
Address: 2900 W. 93rd Avenue
Crown Point, IN 46307
E-Mail: highlandfd@surfnetinc.com
Telephone: (219) 923-9876
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office ;S> Printed on recycled paper
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Additional copies of this and other publications in the RMP Network series are available from:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
Phone: (800)490-9198
Fax: (513)489-8695
E-mail: ncepi.mail@epamail.epa.gov
or you can download an electronic copy from the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office's
web site on the Internet at http://www.epa/gov/ceppo.
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office ;S> Printed on recycled paper
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