Erie County LEPC Honored With Chemical Education Award

Erie County's Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) was selected as the 2002 winner of the Chemical Education Foundation's Community Award for Chemical Safety. LEPC Chair Harry Meyer accepted the award on September 26th at the Opening Session of the National Association of Chemical Distributors' (NACD) Operations Seminar & Trade Show (OPSEM) in Kansas City, MO. LEPC Secretary Patrick Daley and Public Information Chair Robert Puntillo also attended the ceremony.

For the past five years, CEF has honored emergency planning and response groups who excel in working with public and private industries, including chemical companies, to improve public safety and chemical awareness. Each year, CEF judges review a number of outstanding programs submitted for review.

The CEF award recognized the chemical education campaign of Erie County's LEPC. The LEPC promotes chemical safety awareness through hosting seminars for industry representatives with speakers from various government agencies including the EPA, FBI, and the State Police and Attorney General's Offices. The LEPC also distributes an educational brochure describing its mission and is distributed to the general public by fire halls and library branches throughout the County. The LEPC also has a speaker's bureau available to give presentations to local groups.