A major trend in the regulation of industrial risks to human health and the environment is the provision of relevant information to (and the empowerment of) all stakeholders and risk bearers. This paper provides a concrete look at one of the key items in implementing this "regulation by information"" in the United States: the so-called LEPCs or Local Emergency Planning Committees. We summarize the literature on the subject, report on some interviews we made at selected LEPCs in the states of Vermont and Maryland, and present preliminary figures from a recent survey we just completed of more than 200 LEPCs. The ending sections also contain some international comparisons and an appraisal of the actual LEPCs."