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  • What is a reactive and non-reactive solid EHS?

    Reactive solid means any extremely hazardous substance denoted with “a” in the “Notes” column in Appendix A or B of 40 CFR 355. Reactive solids are more likely than other solids to be dispersed into the air due to the energy or heat created from their reactivity with water or…

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  • How did states form their SERCs?

    How are States expected to form their State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) as required under Title III? States are required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Title III. The SERC may consist of existing emergency response organizations or may be an entirely new mechanism to address this…

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  • Pesticide applicator quantity applied to threshold or transportation exemption

    A farmer contracts with an applicator to spray pesticides on his fields. The applicator drives a tank truck onto the farmers' field and sprays the pesticide from the truck onto the fields. For purposes of Section 302 emergency planning requirements, are the EHSs in the truck considered present at the…

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  • State refusing to comply with the emergency planning provisions

    What will happen if a State refuses to comply with the emergency planning provisions? A governor who does not designate a State emergency response commission becomes the commission by default. While the governor could choose not to fulfill any of the Title III provisions, the public could still request information…

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  • Section 302 notification requirements and mixtures with unknown components

    Are facilities exempt from Section 302 notification requirements if they produce, use, or store mixtures whose extremely hazardous substance component information is not available on the MSDS provided by the manufacturer? If the facility which produces, uses, or stores mixtures knows or reasonably should know the components of the mixture…

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  • How often does a facility need to complete an oil spill response training under the FRP requirements?

    Facilities subject to the Facility Response Plan (FRP) regulations in 40 CFR Part 112, Subpart D are required to develop a facility response training program to train those personnel involved in oil spill response activities (§112.21(b)). How often does a facility need to complete an oil spill response training under…

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  • What is a significant and substantial harm facility?

    Some substantial harm facilities may meet the criteria for a significant and substantial harm facility. After you have prepared and submitted your FRP, the RA may determine that your facility has the potential, not just for substantial harm, but for significant and substantial harm. If the RA makes that determination…

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  • A home sustained flooding as a result of a hurricane. Once the flood water recedes, my firm must make the necessary renovations. How do the record keeping requirements apply to an emergency renovation? 

    Emergency renovations (other than interim controls performed in response to a child with an elevated blood lead level) are exempt from the training, certification, sign posting, waste handling and containment requirements of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule only to the extent necessary to respond to the emergency…

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  • TPQ calculations for hazardous substances in molten form

    Facilities are subject to emergency planning and notification requirements under EPCRA (also known as SARA Title III) when an extremely hazardous substance (EHS) is present at a facility in an amount equal to or in excess of its TPQ. For some EHSs that are solids, two TPQs are given (e.g…

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  • Reporting responsibility under EPCRA §302 for a facility with several unrelated companies?

    A public warehouse is used by several unrelated companies to store extremely hazardous substances (EHSs). For purposes of emergency planning notification, who is responsible, under EPCRA Section 302, for notifying the State Emergency Response Commission if a threshold planning quantity (TPQ) of an EHS is present at the warehouse? The…

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  • PE certification for an FRP if an SPCC impracticability determination is made

    If the owner or operator of a facility subject to the SPCC regulations determines that the installation of any of the specified secondary containment structures or equipment is not practicable and accordingly provides in the facility’s SPCC Plan an oil spill contingency plan following the provisions of 40 CFR Part…

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  • Can states designate liquified petroleum gas facilities under Section 302

    Does the statute allow the state to designate facilities which produce, use, or store certain quantities of liquified petroleum gas as emergency planning facilities? EPA considers the designation of additional facilities to be accomplished through naming individual sites or companies, or by designation of certain classes of facilities as newly…

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  • Transportation exemption and EPCRA emergency planning

    To what extent is an LEPC/TEPC required to plan if there are only a few (or no) facilities having extremely hazardous substances present in excess of threshold planning quantities, but there is significant interstate transportation of these and other hazardous substances? While Section 327 of Title III generally exempts the…

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  • Does the RRP rule apply to contractors working on homes damaged by a hurricane or other natural disaster?

    Damage from a major storm or other natural disaster could result in the need for emergency renovations. Certain requirements of the RRP Rule do not apply to emergency renovations, which are renovation activities that were not planned but result from a sudden, unexpected event that, if not immediately attended to…

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  • Would pesticide sprayed on ground count towards §302 threshold?

    Section 302 requires owners and operators of facilities that have extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) present above the threshold planning quantity (TPQ) to participate in emergency planning ( 40 CFR §355.20 ). If a facility has a pesticide sprayed on its grounds without first being stored at the facility, must the…

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