(a) The state emergency response commission shall designate emergency planning districts in order to facilitate preparation and implementation of emergency plans. After designating emergency planning districts, the state emergency response commission shall appoint members of a local emergency planning committee for each emergency planning district. Each committee shall include representatives from each of the following groups or organizations: (1) Elected state and local officials; (2) law enforcement, civil defense, fire fighting, first aid, health, local environmental, hospital and transportation personnel; (3) broadcast and print media; (4) community groups; and (5) owners and operators of facilities subject to the requirements of this article. In addition to the above members, each county commission president from every county within the district, or a member of the county commission designated by the president, shall be appointed as a member of the committee and such appointment may fulfill the requirement to appoint elected local officials.
(b) Each local committee shall appoint a chairperson and establish procedural rules by which the committee shall function. Such rules shall include provisions for public notification of committee activities, public meetings to discuss the emergency plan, public comments, response to such comments by the committee and distribution of the emergency plan.
(c) The local committees shall submit their proposed procedural rules to the state emergency response commission for review and comment no later than January 1, 1990. If any local committees fail to submit proposed procedural rules, the state emergency response commission shall itself promulgate rules applicable to such local committees.
(d) The local emergency planning committee shall have and may exercise the following powers and authority and shall perform the following duties:
(1) Establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public for information regarding any emergency response plan, material safety data sheet, emergency, first aid and medical treatment procedures, list described in 42 U.S.C. §11021(a)(2), inventory form, toxic chemical release form, or followup emergency notice, including tier II information under 42 U.S.C. §11022;