A federal grant will aid Livingston County with hazardous materials emergency preparedness.

The Livingston County Emergency Management Department received a federal award through the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant Program. The grant covers hazardous materials preparedness, should there ever be an emergency involving an industrial site. The grant is an incentive to cover the cost for the county to develop the plans for SARA Title III sites and support the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Livingston County Emergency Manager Therese Cremonte tells WHMI they have several sites in the county that fall under SARA Title III. Those are sites that have extremely hazardous substances of a certain quantity so Cremonte says they need to note where they are, have a plan for the site, contact numbers and an evacuation route planned. She says they also need to know if there is any critical infrastructure around the site such as a school, hospital or assisted living facility that would take priority in an evacuation or shelter-in-place event. Cremonte says they have several plans already but there are a few sites within the county where plans have not been developed. She says that’s part of what they do and they will share those plans with the state and the local hazardous materials team.

The amount of the federal grant award is $2,750 with a required 25% match from Livingston County in the amount of $687.50. A resolution approving the grant program award agreement was approved earlier this month by the Livingston County Board of Commissioners. (JM)