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During the incident, the Kansas Department of Health and EPCRA Section 301 requires each state to create a State Emergency
Environment (KDHE) initiated syndromic surveillance through the Response Commission (SERC) composed of individuals with
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National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP). The NSSP expertise in emergency response. It also requires each
system enables public health agencies at all levels to immediately SERC to set forth emergency planning districts, each of which
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communicate and share health information to increase must have a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
awareness of, and respond to, hazardous events and outbreaks. LEPCs must be composed of elected state and local officials;
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Epidemiologists at KDHE used the system to search the health police, fire, civil defense, public health, transportation, and
effects associated with the chemicals involved in the reaction environmental professionals; representatives of facilities

and, within two hours of the incident, began sharing information subject to EPCRA emergency planning requirements;
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with state and local health departments and hospitals. 118 community groups; and the media. While SERCs supervise
and coordinate the activities of LEPCs, establish procedures
Following the incident, the AAR & IP identified the for receiving and processing public requests for information,
need for more operational coordination and a liaison and review local emergency response plans, LEPCs develop
to communicate exposure information during similar community emergency response plans, review the plans
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incidents. Less than two months after the incident, MGPI annually, and provide information to the public.
hosted training with local emergency responders, including
a representative from Atchison Hospital, to discuss the Community emergency response plans are developed by LEPCs
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hazards of the chemicals used at Mod B (Section 5.5.2.1). with stakeholder participation. The plans must (1) identify
facilities and transportation routes of extremely hazardous
5.5.2 STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING substances; (2) describe emergency response procedures, onsite

Intended to address concerns about local preparedness for and offsite; (3) designate a community coordinator and facility
chemical emergencies and to ensure public access to information, coordinators to implement the plan; (4) outline emergency
the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act notification procedures; (5) explain the means to determine the
(EPCRA) of 1986, established a framework for states to organize probable area and population affected by chemical releases;

resources to pre-plan for chemical accidents. EPCRA is divided (6) describe local emergency equipment and facilities and the
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into four parts: (1) emergency planning (§§ 301-303), (2) people responsible for them; (7) outline evacuation plans;
emergency release notification (§ 304), (3) hazardous chemical (8) provide a training program for emergency responders
inventory reporting (§§ 311-312), and (4) toxic chemical release (including schedules); and (9) detail methods and schedules
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reporting (§ 313). The chemicals covered by each section of for exercising emergency response plans. Facilities covered
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EPCRA are different, as are the quantities that trigger reporting. by Section 311 must also submit Emergency and Hazardous
Chemical Inventory forms to their SERCs, LEPCs, and local fire
116 National Syndromic Surveillance Program. Chemical Spill in Kansas: Importance of
Sharing Information across Sites. CDC February 2017. https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.
gov%2Fnssp%2Fdocuments%2Fsuccess-story-chemical-spill-20170201.pdf&usg=AO
vVaw2QLzSqlBWPlTpKez3akXCg (accessed October 30, 2017).
October 31, 2017).
117 https://www.cdc.gov/nssp/overview.html
122 42 U.S.C. § 11001 (1986).
118 National Syndromic Surveillance Program. Chemical Spill in Kansas: Importance of
Sharing Information Across Sites. CDC February 2017. https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc. 123 42 U.S.C. § 11001 (1986).
gov%2Fnssp%2Fdocuments%2Fsuccess-story-chemical-spill-20170201.pdf&usg=AO 124 EPA. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. https://www.epa.
vVaw2QLzSqlBWPlTpKez3akXCg (accessed October 30, 2017). gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/epcra_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed
November 2, 2017).
119 EPA. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. https://www.epa.
gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/epcra_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed 125 EPA. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. https://www.epa.
November 2, 2017). gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/epcra_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed
November 2, 2017).
120 EPA. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. https://www.epa.
gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/epcra_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed 126 EPA. Local Emergency Planning Committee. https://www.epa.gov/epcra/local-
November 2, 2017). emergency-planning-committees (accessed November 2, 2017).
121 EPA. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. https://www.epa. 127 EPA. Local Emergency Planning Committee. https://www.epa.gov/epcra/local-
gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/epcra_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed emergency-planning-committees (accessed November 2, 2017).
30 CSB MGPI Processing Case Study