The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) is a federal statute that requires facilities to report their use of extremely hazardous substances.  As its name suggests, the purpose of EPCRA is to enhance emergency planning and to facilitate public access to chemical information about facilities.  EPCRA requires States to create state emergency response commissions (SERCs) which, in turn, must designate local emergency planning committees (LEPCs).  Covered facilities must provide the SERC, their LEPC, and their local fire department with chemical inventory data and emergency plans.  LEPCs prepare emergency response plans based on information received from facilities and they also serve as conduits for the transfer of information from facilities to the public.  EPCRA also requires covered facilities to report their routine releases of certain toxic chemicals.