Mk. Lindell et Mj. Meier, PLANNING EFFECTIVENESS - EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-PLANNING FOR TOXIC-CHEMICAL EMERGENCIES, Journal of the American Planning Association, 60(2), 1994, pp. 222-234
Recent studies have shown substantial variation within and between sta
tes in the levels of local planning for hazardous materials emergencie
s. To explain these variations, literature on strategic planning, disa
ster planning and team effectiveness was used to construct a model of
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) effectiveness in developing
emergency plans. Data from Michigan LEPCs showed that emergency planni
ng outcomes (e.g., quality and degree of completion of critical planni
ng tasks and submission of plans for approval) were correlated with in
ternal factors such as member inputs, staffing and structure, and emer
gency planning resources. External factors such as community support a
nd recent hazard experience also affect success, possibly by endowing
emergency planning with importance for LEPC members either directly (e
.g., recent evacuation experience) or indirectly (community support ar
ising from the high priority given emergency plans by others). These r
esults suggest that community planners should take such strategic acti
ons as developing community support and redesigning the LEPC's structu
re to be more effective in preparing for hazardous materials emergenci
es.