(430 ILCS 50/1) (from Ch. 127, par. 1251)
Sec. 1.
It is the finding of the General Assembly:
(a) That the use, transportation, storage and manufacture of hazardous
materials creates a substantial risk that accidents will occur involving
such hazardous materials;
(b) That accidents involving hazardous materials create an unreasonable
risk to the health, safety and welfare of the People of Illinois;
(c) That the federal government promulgates regulations for the interstate
transportation of hazardous materials, but that the People of Illinois can
benefit by having such precautions as those included in federal regulation
extended to intrastate transportation and other activities which might
result in an accident involving hazardous materials;
(d) That often the emergency agency which first responds to an accident
involving a hazardous material is unable to determine the nature of the
material and is unfamiliar with precautionary measures which must be exercised
in handling the material, with resulting use of incorrect emergency procedures
endangering both members of the emergency agency and the public; and
(e) That response to hazardous materials emergencies can be accomplished
more rapidly and with greater efficiency if one agency of State government
with the necessary communications network is designated as the central
reporting agency in case of emergency.
(Source: P.A. 79-1442.)
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