From terrorist threats to the current war with Iraq, the DeKalb Local Emergency Planning Committee has committed itself to promoting public interest regarding the hazards and threats of chemical substances.

Committee president Frank Beierlotzer said the committee’s initial goal is to inspect local facilities that use chemical materials in any manner for production. The committee then places the facility within a database that is required for public release.

Beierlotzer said this is done to protect the community from any potential leaks or spills that may occur during hazardous weather, production or other numerous variables that could release chemical agents into DeKalb.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, LEPC has been dedicated to putting out a comprehensive plan that would be the backbone for better informing the community of chemical hazards and their impact. Since terrorism has become a legitimate threat to the United States, and war talk has centered around weapons of mass destruction, Beierlotzer said the committee deemed it necessary to implement some kind of organized plan that would include community input.

“If there were an emergency, that’s why we are trying to prepare the community to be better prepared and educate them that there are chemicals in our community,” he said.

Beierlotzer added that the plan prepares for the worst case scenarios, with plants being the greatest risk factors for these disasters.

Members of the LEPC, appointed by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, must include a variety of groups including local environmental groups, law enforcement, hospital representatives, firefighters, broadcast/print media, health groups and community members. Beierlotzer, however, stressed the need for community members’ input to make the plan a solid one for the rest of the county.

“We need people to help with their different knowledge,” Beierlotzer said. “We need donations and additional money to bring in such things as training material to the county. The government does offer grants, but it restricts what you can and can’t use the money toward. We need regular donations to allow us more freedom to spend.”