§11001 Establishment of State Commissions, Planning Districts, and Local Committees

Summary

Governors must appoint a State emergency response commission within six months after October 17, 1986. A Governor can use one or more existing state emergency groups instead. The commission should include people with emergency-response skills when possible. The commission will pick and oversee local emergency planning committees. It must also set up a way for the public to ask for information, including tier II information under section 11022, and name an official to handle those requests. If a Governor does not name a commission in time, the Governor will act as the commission until one is named. Within nine months after October 17, 1986, the commission must divide the State into emergency planning districts to make and carry out emergency plans. It can use existing local governments or multi-area groups for those districts, and neighboring States’ commissions can agree on districts that cross State lines. The commission must say which covered facilities are in each district. Then, within 30 days after a district is set up or 10 months after October 17, 1986, whichever is earlier, the commission must appoint a local emergency planning committee for each district. Each local committee must include elected officials, emergency responders (police, fire, medical), public health and environmental staff, hospitals and transport, media, community groups, and owners/operators of covered facilities. The committee must choose a chair, make rules, hold public meetings, take and respond to public comments, share the emergency plan, set up public information procedures (including tier II), and name an information coordinator. The State commission can change districts or committee memberships, and people can ask the commission to change a local committee’s membership.