If you’re interested in learning more about the transportation of hazardous materials through your community, here’s a quick guide to government resources and publicly available information.
Local Emergency Planning Committees
You can look up your Local Emergency Planning Committees — or, in tribal areas, Tribal Emergency Planning Committees — to find out how your community prepares for hazmat emergencies. These regional or county-level committees are responsible for developing an emergency response plan and providing citizens with information about chemicals in the community. LEPC meetings are open to the public, and emergency response plans are generally available online or can be requested under open records laws.
LEPCs are appointed by State Emergency Response Commissions. For more information on your LEPC, contact the commission for your state.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains a National LEPC-TEPC Handbook, outlining policies and guidelines for LEPCs.
Hazmat Incident Database
The U.S. Department of Transportation maintains a database of all incidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials. The data is searchable by state and county, as well as by rail carrier.
Toxic Release Inventory
The EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory compiles annual reports on toxic chemical releases into the air, land and water reported by industrial facilities.
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