Search Frequent Questions

Displaying 16 - 30 of 47 results

• 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…

  • Last published: July 25, 2024

• 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…

  • Last published: August 20, 2024

• Do I need to cover a closet door with plastic?

  Answer: Yes, if the door is inside the work area. When containing the work area during an interior renovation, the firm must close windows and doors in the work area. Doors must be covered with plastic sheeting or other impermeable material. Question Number: 23002-15162 Find a printable PDF copy of…

  • Last published: November 5, 2024

• Plastic can be a slip hazard in some jobs, such as handling granite counter tops. This creates a more immediate safety concern than protecting the floor from dust. Can't I just clean the floor at the end of the job?

  Answer: No. For interior renovations, before beginning the renovation the renovation firm must cover the floor surface, including installed carpet, with taped-down plastic sheeting or other impermeable material in the work area six feet beyond the perimeter of surfaces undergoing renovation or a sufficient distance to contain the dust, whichever…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• My firm is replacing windows on the second floor of a home. The windows are built into a bay that projects out from a steeply pitched slate roof. Does the RRP Rule require me to install plastic on the roof under the windows?

  My firm is replacing windows on the second floor of a 90-year-old home. The windows are built into a bay that projects out from a steeply pitched slate roof. When setting up exterior containment for this job, does the RRP Rule require me to install plastic on the roof under…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• Under the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, in exterior containment if a large tree or shrub is within the work area can the plastic be placed around the base and would the plant, however large, also need to be covered?

  Answer: The Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule does not specifically address containment of trees or shrubs, but if dust, debris, or residue remains in the tree or shrub at the conclusion of the job, the site will not pass visual inspection. The work practices for exterior projects are…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• What is your recommendation if work under the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule has started and it begins to rain? What do we do with the water that is on the plastic in the containment area?

  Before beginning the renovation, the firm must isolate the work area so that no dust or debris (including in the waste water) leaves the work area while the renovation is being performed. In addition, the firm must maintain the integrity of the containment by ensuring that any plastic or other…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• When replacing an unpainted roof, sometimes sections of paint-covered lumber under the roof need to be removed. If damaged lumber is removed from only certain sections of the roof, does only this area need to be contained while we fix the lumber?

  Yes. The renovation firm is responsible for containing the work area so that no dust or debris resulting from the disturbance of a painted surface leaves the work area while the renovation is being performed. Containment is not required for portions of the renovation outside this area that do not…

  • Last published: November 20, 2024

• 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…

  • Last published: April 17, 2024

• Calculating EHS quantities within landfills

  How are the quantities of the extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) to be calculated in determining if landfills are subject to the section 302 requirements? EPA realizes the practical problems presented for landfills in complying with the Title III requirements. Owners of these facilities must determine, based on reasonably available information…

  • Last published: April 17, 2024

• Threshold planning quantity for extremely hazardous substances in solid form

  Extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) that are in solid form are subject to one of two different threshold planning quantities (TPQs), a lower level or 10,000 pounds ( 40 CFR 355.15 ). Why does the list of EHSs only have one TPQ for certain solids, such as sodium cyanide? If a…

  • Last published: April 17, 2024

• Applicability of EPCRA §§302 and 304 to EHSs produced on-site

  If an extremely hazardous substance is not stored on-site but is produced in a process such as incineration, is it exempt from both threshold planning quantity calculation and release reporting if the release is covered by a Clean Air Act permit? If the hazardous substance is produced on-site in a…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Can state and local laws supersede EPCRA?

  Can existing state and local laws that provide substantially similar emergency planning supersede the specific provisions of the federal law? Title III (Section 321) generally provides that nothing in Title III shall preempt or affect any state or local law. However, material safety data sheets, if required under a state…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Primary purpose of Section 302 notification requirements

  What is the primary purpose of Section 302 notification requirements? Notifications indicating that a facility has one or more extremely hazardous substances in excess of the threshold planning quantity help to identify locations within the State where emergency planning activities can be initially focused. While the substances on the list…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Counting Ammonia and Ammonium Hydroxide for Emergency Planning Notification under EPCRA section 302

  Ammonium hydroxide is a solution of ammonia in water. If a facility stores ammonium hydroxide (CAS #1336-21-6) in a large storage tank on site, should the facility include the quantity of ammonia in ammonium hydroxide for the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) section 302 emergency planning notification? The…

  • Last published: July 25, 2024