Upcoming and Recent Compliance Dates Affecting Agriculture

Use this list as a reminder of important environmental compliance dates that you may have to meet. For details on programs, follow the links to get more information. See the links in the "Related Information" box for more information on other regulations that may apply to your agricultural operation.

• Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures (SPCC)
• Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule
• Worker Protection Standard (WPS)
• Certification and Training (C&T) Rule
• Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Farm Animal Waste

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Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures (SPCC)

The SPCC rule requires farms and other facilities to develop, maintain, and implement an oil spill prevention plan, called an SPCC Plan.

• SPCC Rule Compliance
  • All farms in operation that could reasonably be expected to have a discharge must prepare and implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan. For more information on preparing an SPCC plan for your farm, please visit the SPCC for Agriculture website.
  • Oil spills endanger public health, impact drinking water, devastate natural resources, and disrupt the economy. Every effort must be made to prevent oil spills and to clean them up promptly once they occur.
  • The purpose of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule is to help facilities and farms prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
  • A key element of the SPCC rule requires farms and other facilities to develop, maintain and implement an oil spill prevention plan, called an SPCC Plan. These plans help farms prevent oil spill, as well as control a spill should one occur.
  • More information from EPA, visit the SPCC for Agriculture website.

Risk Management Plan Rule

The Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule implements Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. RMP requires facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop a Risk Management Plan. These plans must be revised and resubmitted to EPA every five years.

On December 19, 2019, EPA finalized changes to the Risk Management Program (RMP) Amendments to better address potential security risks, regulatory consistency and reasonable consideration of costs. The changes are intended to promote better emergency planning and public information about accidents and maintain the trend of fewer significant accidents involving chemicals regulated under the RMP rule. The changes reflect issues raised in three petitions for reconsideration of the RMP Amendments and addresses other issues that EPA believed warranted reconsideration. To view the final rule and supporting materials, please visit EPA Docket No. EPA-HQ-OEM-2015-0725-2002 at regulations.gov.

For more information, please visit the Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule website.

Worker Protection Standard (WPS)

All requirements of the revised Worker Protection Standard are now in effect. Pesticide safety training materials with the expanded content required by the 2015 WPS must be used to train workers and handlers.

EPA published a Federal Register notice (June 22, 2018) stating the pesticide safety training materials with the expanded content required by the 2015 FIFRA WPS are available for use. Updated training materials with expanded content available at the Pesticide Education Resources Collaborative (PERC) were developed through an EPA cooperative agreement and EPA approved. EPA also approved training materials developed by other organizations, some of which are available on PERC’s website.

On October 30, 2020, EPA finalized revisions to clarify and simplify the Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) requirements in the WPS. These changes went into effect on December 29, 2020. To view the final rule and supporting materials, please visit EPA Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0543 at regulations.gov. For more information about the AEZ, please visit the Application Exclusion Zone website.

For additional WPS information, compliance assistance documents, and training materials, please visit the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative.

For additional information on the Worker Protection Standard, please visit the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard website.

Certification and Training (C&T, or Certification of Pesticide Applicators) Rule

EPA has finalized stronger standards for people who apply restricted use pesticides (RUPs). The January 4, 2017, final rule became effective March 6, 2017. The 2017 CPA final rule required states, territories, tribes and federal agencies with existing EPA-approved certification plans to submit proposed modifications by March 4, 2020 to comply with the federal standards. In February 2022, EPA issued a proposed rule seeking public comment on the need for further extending the deadline up to but not longer than November 4, 2024. Plans in place before March 4, 2020 remain in effect until EPA approves the proposed plan modifications, or until those plans otherwise expire on November 4, 2022, whichever is earlier. To read the proposed rule and view the public comments, please visit EPA Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0831-0019 at regulations.gov.

For more information, please visit the Revised Certification Standards for Pesticide Applicators website.

Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Farm Animal Waste

Under EPCRA, reporting of air emissions from animal waste at farms is not required. On June 4, 2019, former EPA Administrator Wheeler signed a final rule to amend the emergency release notification regulations under EPCRA. This amendment adds a reporting exemption for air emissions from animal waste at farms.

Due to the FARM Act’s legislative amendments to CERCLA, “air emissions from animal waste at a farm” are exempt from reporting under CERCLA. Accordingly, on August 1, 2018, EPA published a final rule revising the CERCLA reporting regulations to incorporate the FARM Act’s amendments to CERCLA.

Please, visit the CERCLA and EPCRA Reporting Requirements for Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Animal Waste at Farms website for more information.