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.)