By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

Appointments and reappointments have been made to a county committee that deals with emergency planning and the public’s right-to-know.

In a memo to the Board of Commissioners, Livingston County Emergency Manager Therese Cremonte explains that SARA Title III of 1996, also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act establishes requirements for federal, state, and local governments, as well as industries, regarding emergency planning and a community’s right-to-know about hazardous and toxic chemicals within the community. The act requires the governor of each state to designate a State Emergency Response Commission, which is then responsible for designating local emergency planning districts and appointing local emergency planning committees, or LEPC.

Cremonte was before Commissioners with those appointments, Monday evening. She recalled a 2019 incident where the LEPC got involved with an issue at Diamond Chrome Plating in Howell. She said, “(They) had a vapor intrusion that impacted the community and the neighborhood ,in particular. This was a discussion at our LEPC. We pulled in health officials, we went over discussions and recommendations by EGLE and EPA, and it was community right-to-know. Diamond Chrome was very forthcoming with that. We get a SARA title III report from them every year. That was one of those moments that the LEPC was very important.”

The large 64-member committee meets quarterly and is filled with representatives from around the county and including department heads, police and fire chiefs and personnel, school superintendents, and more. One omission was made from the list, being former WHMI News Director Jon King, who was to be the committee’s media representative.

The Board of Commissioners approved the amended list unanimously, and then approved a motion to allow Cremonte to fill the empty seat by a 6-3 vote.