Emergency Response Commission and Follow-Up Review of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs

The report addresses the Emergency Response Commission’s overall effectiveness in ensuring compliance with the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to Know Act (EPCRA). The report recommends that the Commission adopt better methods to identify facilities required to report chemical information, pursue statutory changes to more effectively implement and enforce EPCRA, and develop an adequate data management process to ensure the public has access to accurate and complete information.

The follow-up review of the 1994 performance audit of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs noted improvements in oversight of federal and state monies and the level of control exercised by the Adjutant General. However, the Department had not sufficiently improved its disaster response preparedness, and liability concerns regarding its agreements to store military hardware for the National Guard Bureau still need to be resolved.