093_HB1707eng

 
HB1707 Engrossed                     LRB093 04865 MBS 04924 b

 1        AN ACT concerning public safety.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.   The  Hazardous  Materials  Emergency Act is
 5    amended by changing Section 1 as follows:

 6        (430 ILCS 50/1) (from Ch. 127, par. 1251)
 7        Sec. 1.  Findings.  It is  the  finding  of  the  General
 8    Assembly:
 9        (a)  That    the   use,   transportation,   storage   and
10    manufacture of hazardous materials creates a substantial risk
11    that accidents will occur involving such hazardous materials;
12        (b)  That accidents involving hazardous materials  create
13    an unreasonable risk to the health, safety and welfare of the
14    People of Illinois;
15        (c)  That  the federal government promulgates regulations
16    for the interstate transportation of hazardous materials, but
17    that the People  of  Illinois  can  benefit  by  having  such
18    precautions as those included in federal regulation  extended
19    to  intrastate  transportation  and  other   activities which
20    might result in an accident involving hazardous materials;
21        (d)  That often the emergency agency which first responds
22    to an accident involving a hazardous material  is  unable  to
23    determine  the nature of the  material and is unfamiliar with
24    precautionary measures which must be  exercised  in  handling
25    the  material,  with  resulting  use  of  incorrect emergency
26    procedures endangering both members of the  emergency  agency
27    and the public; and
28        (e)  That response to hazardous materials emergencies can
29    be  accomplished  more rapidly and with greater efficiency if
30    one  agency  of   State   government   with   the   necessary
31    communications   network   is   designated  as   the  central
 
HB1707 Engrossed            -2-      LRB093 04865 MBS 04924 b
 1    reporting agency in case of emergency.
 2    (Source: P.A. 79-1442.)