Local Emergency Planning Committees to merge

Three Kansas counties will join five-county LEPC in Missouri

On June 10, members of the Mid-America Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) unanimously approved a merger with LEPCs in Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.

Across the nation, about 3,000 LEPCs bring private industry together with public emergency response agencies to help reduce the community’s risks from accidents involving hazardous chemicals. For more than 30 years, the Mid-America LEPC has served residents of Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri. The Mid-America LEPC includes representatives from fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, private industry, city and county emergency management officials, railroads, and state and federal agencies.

“We’re looking forward to bringing the Kansas LEPCs on board,” said David Williams, North Kansas City fire chief and Mid-America LEPC chair. “We have a long history of regional cooperation in the Greater Kansas City area, and this merger will strengthen our ability to educate and protect residents on both sides of the state line.”

Members of the Mid-America LEPC meet monthly at the Mid-America Regional Council to work on planning, training, education and outreach related to hazardous chemicals in the community. The LEPC also prepares and updates a regional hazardous materials emergency preparedness plan. As part of the merger, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties will each appoint one voting member to the Mid-America LEPC. Private industries that work with or store hazardous chemicals in the three counties are strongly encouraged to participate.

“We want to be very active members of the Mid-America LEPC,” said Bob Evans, emergency manager for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan. “We have always been impressed with the quality of this group and we’re excited to be a part of it. The state agencies we work with in Kansas have expressed enthusiastic support for this merger.”

The Mid-America LEPC will appoint a transition team to help implement the merger in upcoming months.