23-04-2025
Summers County LEPC making changes to emergency plans
HINTON, WV (WVNS) — Workers with Summers County Office of Emergency Management attended a quarterly Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting last week.
Several changes to emergency plans were discussed.
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A county's Local Emergency Planning Committee is a public organization that discusses the emergency plans for the county.
The recent meeting which the Summers County LEPC attended played host to talks about planning for chemical incidents within the county.
Loyd Lowry, Summers County Office of Emergency Management Director, said they discussed a variety of plans based on the various facilities in the county which hold different hazardous materials.
'Well, you know, primarily we have a couple facilities that store large amounts of chlorine. We also have facilities that store a large amount of flammable materials. We have to look at those and make sure that we have planning set up for those responses. We also have a transportation network that involves roads and railroads. We also look at those for possible issues with hazardous materials. Whether it would be spillage, explosions, stuff like that, dangerous breathing conditions for residents,' said Lowry.
Lowry said the changes being made to the plans are in regard to the specific responses for each type of facility.
The plans will go more in depth as to the appropriate response to each different chemical in the county.
He said his office will work with the federal government, local emergency response agencies, and the National Weather Service to ensure the safety of Summers County residents.
He encourages citizens to play an active role in knowing what the emergency plans for their county are.
'The LEPC is a transparent organization. If anybody has questions as to exactly what facilities are in this county, what their locations are, what chemicals they may have on hand, they can reach out to the LEPC committee. We do, once a year, publicly display this information, usually at Railroad Days or another festival where it's easily accessible,' said Lowry.
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Lowry said the regular meetings are open to the public and information on them may be found at the Summers County Courthouse, the Memorial Building, and several other locations in town.
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