{"id":558,"date":"2012-10-10T04:47:53","date_gmt":"2012-10-10T08:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ehscsi.com\/?p=558"},"modified":"2017-12-10T23:20:54","modified_gmt":"2017-12-11T04:20:54","slug":"epcra-emergency-release-notifications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ehscsi.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/10\/epcra-emergency-release-notifications\/","title":{"rendered":"EPCRA Emergency Release Notifications"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am on a quest to demystify\u00a0the requirements of the\u00a0Emergency Planning and \"EPCRA,<\/a>Community Right to Know (EPCRA) regulation. \u00a0In the previous post<\/a> I discussed the requirements of EPCRA Emergency Planning, today I am focusing on\u00a0EPCRA emergency release notification. \u00a0EPCRA standards require the reporting of \u00a0a release of any Environmental Hazardous Substance (EHS)<\/a> at or above the reportable quantity (RQ) to at least two organizations:<\/p>\n

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  1. State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In the event a release crosses a state boundary or areas over which differing LEPCs have jurisdiction, then those agencies must also be notified.\u00a0 \u00a0The immediate or initial notification is oral should include the identity and quantity of the material, the media to which it was released, and any health hazards that may result from exposure to the material\u2014having access to a Material Safety Data Sheet (or Safety Data Sheet) is invaluable when reporting releases.\u00a0 The follow up notification must be in writing, while EPA does not have a designated format many LEPCs do.\u00a0 Initial notification is required immediately (i.e. upon discovery of a release the meets or exceed the RQ) and written notification is requires as soon as practical.<\/p>\n

    This is where EPCRA and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERLCA) intersect; however I will limit this discussion to include only the impacts of CERLCA on emergency release notifications.\u00a0\u00a0 CERLCA also identifies RQs for a list of chemicals called hazardous substances<\/a>, similar to the EPCRA EHSs these quantities are also used to determine when a release needs to be reported.\u00a0\u00a0 If a chemical is both and EHS as defined by EPCRA and a hazardous substance as defined by CERLCA then a notification must also be made by telephone (800-424-8802) to the National Response Center (NRC) in addition to the LEPC and SERC.\u00a0 \u00a0I will delve further into CERLCA requirements in a later post but keep in mind a few tips on reporting:<\/p>\n