• LEPC Meetings:
• What is SARA Title III?
• UWM SARA Reporting:
• Synopsis of the UWM SARA Report:
• EPA's Risk Management Plan Reporting:
• Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan (SPCC):
• Waste Minimization Efforts:

Milwaukee County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meetings are held on the second Monday of every month, September through June. The public is invited and encouraged to attend these meetings. Meetings normally last one to two hours.

The Emergency Planning & Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA) was passed by Congress as part of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 also known as "SARA Title III".

The act created a program with two basic goals:

1. to increase public knowledge of and access to information on the presence of toxic chemicals in communities, releases of toxic chemicals into the environment, and waste management activities involving toxic chemicals; and
2. to encourage and support planning for responding to environmental emergencies.

The program brings industry, government and the general public together to address emergency planning for accidental chemical releases. The emergency planning aspect requires communities to prepare for hazardous chemical releases through emergency planning. This provides essential information for emergency responders and creates a database of hazardous chemical storage information for the community. The community right-to-know aspect increases public awareness of chemical hazards in their community and allows the public and local governments to obtain information about these chemical hazards.

EPCRA has four main requirements:

WI Act 342, the Hazardous Substances Information and Emergency Planning Act, was signed into law on April 21, 1988. It implemented EPCRA in the State of Wisconsin. The requirements are stated at s. 166.20, Wis. Stats. The State Emergency Response Board (SERB) oversees the program at the state level.

Each Wisconsin county is designated as an emergency planning district and has a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) to administer the local program. LEPC membership includes local elected officials, members of emergency response agencies (fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, health, etc.) and representatives for transportation, public works, the media, community groups, environmental groups, and operators of affected facilities.

LEPC's are responsible for receiving and maintaining filings of facility submissions. They also maintain a county-wide emergency response plan, develop and maintain facilities, off-site emergency response plans and the county's hazard analysis for both fixed facilities and transportation. LEPC's assess the county hazmat response resources and equipment, respond to public requests for information under the "community right-to-know" law, and conduct hazmat training and exercises.

The Milwaukee County emergency response plan includes: the county hazard analysis summary, a list of facilities storing hazardous materials, identification of transportation routes for extremely hazardous substances (EHS), procedures for notification or releases, response to releases, procedures for sheltering and evacuation, and a schedule for training and exercising.

Individual facility off-site plans include: facility name and location, name of facility emergency planning coordinator with 24hr. contact phone number, list of primary emergency responders, list of resources available from/at facility, list of outside resources available, hazard analysis of the facility with a vulnerability zone for release of EHS stored at facility, identification of special facilities (i.e., schools, hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers, etc.) within the zone, population protection procedures (sheltering and evacuation) and attachments.

For additional information, please see The State of Wisconsin Department of Emergency Management's page regarding hazardous materials planning and reporting.

UWM submits "Tier II" reports and "Form R" reports in accordance with Section 312 of the EPA's Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)-Title III, Wisconsin Statute 166.20, and Chapter SERB 1 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

The Tier II reports indicate Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) at the facility at or above the Threshold Planning Quantities (TPQ), as defined by the EPA, or other chemicals stored in excess of 10,000 pounds. The Form R reports indicate toxic chemical release data for EPA listed materials.

The SARA law permits public access to Tier II reports through the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC).

The Milwaukee County LEPC, c/o Division of Emergency Management, 821 West State Street, Rm. 304, Milwaukee, WI 53233, (414) 278-4709, maintains Tier II reports for all reporting facilities in Milwaukee County, including UWM.

For the UWM Saukville Field Station, chemical storage is below threshold planning quantities for SARA III reporting. The LEPC for this facility is the Ozaukee County Department of Emergency Management Office.

Information on chemical hazard communication as defined by DCOMM 32 and the OSHA Hazard Communication and Laboratory Safety Standards is available through the Department of University Safety & Assurances, Engelmann Hall, (414) 229-6339.

The Department of University Safety & Assurances maintains a vast collection of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and chemical hazard resources. This information is available for use by the campus community. In addition, there are many chemical safety resources on the internet, many available on the University Safety and Assurances link page.

UWM is not subject to reporting requirements of EPA's Clean Air Act Section 112(r) Risk Management Program (RMP). Section 112(r) listed chemicals used at UWM are below the threshold planning quantities (TPQ) for RMP.

Chemical recycling and waste minimization isn't only good for the environment, it also saves the campus money! Here are a few examples of minimization efforts at UWM:

• Ethylene Glycol minimization efforts result in this chemical being removed from the SARA Reportable Chemical list:

  • Preventive Maintenance Shop reduces ethylene glycol usage in HVAC coils by 80%; from 28 drums (14,200 lbs.) in 1991, to only 5 drums (2,500 lbs.) in 1995.

  • Fleet Garage recycles ethylene glycol
• Campus recycles batteries, mercury, fluorescent lamps and ballasts
• Geography Department-Soils Lab neutralizes acid waste-stream
• Chemistry Department's teaching labs convert from mercury thermometers to red liquid thermometers
• Researcher converts from Nitric Oxide (NO) gas cylinder to NO gas generator
• Fleet vehicles powered by natural gas, rather than gasoline
• Grounds Crew reduces gasoline waste from small engines
• Fine Arts Department uses redistilled mineral spirits and kerosene
• Campus painters reduce use of solvent-based paints
• Building and Grounds Department reduces chemical usage through automated dispensing system
• Power Plant reduces chemical inventory and minimizes freon leakage from campus chillers
• Biological Sciences Department replaces formaldehyde-based preservatives
• Chemistry Department researcher redistills solvent for reuse
• Chemistry Department teaching labs use redistilled acetone
• Campus recycles electronic waste

• Dane County Emergency Management
• Milwaukee County Emergency Management