A hazardous material is any item, or agent which has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, and the environment. Hazardous materials are everywhere, from our roadways and railroads, to inside our homes.

Etowah County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee, better known as the LEPC, was created to plan for an accident involving these hazardous materials in our community. The LEPC is a group of emergency responders, industry representatives, elected officials, and concerned citizens who work to understand chemical hazards in the community. The LEPC seeks to prevent chemical accidents through education and careful planning. If an accidental release of chemicals occurs in Etowah County, you can rest assured that the response effort will be better due to the planning of the LEPC.

Any facility that stores, uses, or produces known hazardous chemicals is required by federal law to report them to the LEPC. You can find a list of Extremely Hazardous Substances and Threshold Planning Quantities here.

If you have any questions about hazardous chemicals or would like more information about the LEPC, contact the Gadsden/Etowah County EMA at 256-549-4575.