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Hazardous Materials Statutes

Listed below are statutes regulating hazardous materials that relate to the responsibilities of IEMA, along with a synopsis of the statute.

[42 U.S.C. 11001/]

This is a federal statute known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).  EPCRA establishes requirements for federal, state, local governments and industry for reporting hazardous and toxic chemicals, preparing chemical emergency response plans, making emergency notifications, and allowing public access to information on chemicals at individual facilities.

[430 ILCS 100/]

This statute is known as the Illinois Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.  The statute replicates the federal EPCRA requirements for reporting hazardous and toxic chemicals, preparing chemical emergency response plans, making emergency notifications, and allowing public access to information on chemicals at individual facilities.

[430 ILCS 50/]

This statute authorizes IEMA to utilize the State's communication systems to accept telephone reports of accidents involving hazardous materials, relate to emergency agencies information available about the location and type of accident, and report to and coordinate with other State agencies and U.S. Department of Transportation.

This statute also requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to establish placarding regulations for interstate and intrastate transportation and provides for units of local government to adopt ordinances/regulations requiring hazard signage systems for locations involved in use, storage, or manufacture of hazardous materials.  

[430 ILCS 45/]

This statute requires businesses that possess chemical substances to have a written Chemical Safety Contingency Plan unless exempted and implement an employee education program to ensure employees are familiar with the procedures to be followed upon release of a chemical substance.  The statute also requires IEMA to adopt regulations specifying coordination that shall take place between business and local emergency response agencies.