§ 31. State emergency response commission; duties

The commission shall have authority to:

(1) Carry out all the requirements of a commission under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, 42 U.S.C. § § 11000-11050 (1986) (EPCRA), and all-hazards mitigation, response, recovery, and preparedness, as hereafter amended and other applicable federal initiatives.

(2) Adopt rules necessary for the implementation of EPCRA and for the reporting of hazardous chemicals or substances, including setting minimum limits on the level of hazardous chemicals to be reported.

(3) Designate and appoint local emergency planning committees.

(4) Review and comment on the development and implementation of local emergency response plans by local emergency planning committees and provide assistance to those committees in executing their duties.

(5) Review and comment on the comprehensive state emergency operations plan and local emergency planning committee response plans.

(6) Meet with interested parties, which may include representatives of the carrier industry shippers, and state and local agencies, having an interest, responsibility, or expertise concerning hazardous materials.

(7) Ensure that a state plan will go into effect when an accident occurs involving the transportation of hazardous materials. The plan shall be field tested at least once annually.

(8) Jointly adopt rules concerning reportable quantities of economic poison as defined in 6 V.S.A. § 911(5) with the agency of agriculture, food and markets. The commission may enter into contracts with governmental agencies or private organizations to carry out the duties of this section.

(9) Coordinate statewide efforts and draft policies regarding planning, mitigation, preparedness, and response to all-hazards events to be approved by the commissioner.

(10) Recommend funding for awards to be made by the commissioner for training, special studies, citizen corps councils, community emergency response teams (CERT), medical reserve corps, and hazardous materials response teams from funds that are available from federal sources or through the hazardous substances fund created in section 38 of this title. The commission may create committees as necessary for other related purposes and delegate funding recommendation powers to those committees. (Added 1989, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 24; amended 1993, No. 194 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. June 14, 1994; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003; 2005, No. 209 (Adj. Sess.), § 23.)