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.