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Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act as Amended; Draft Guidances
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: January 30, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 20)] [Notices] [Page 3031-3032] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-5406-9] Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act as Amended; Draft Guidances AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop guidance documents, including model risk management plans, to assist stationary sources in the development of risk management programs. The following three draft guidance documents are available for review in Docket No. A-91-73 Category VIII-A: ``Offsite Consequence Assessment''; ``Generic Guidance Risk Management Program (RMP) for Ammonia Refrigeration Facilities''; and ``Risk Management Plan Data Elements.'' The Agency is interested in continued dialogue on the guidances with interested members of the public and will issue guidance at the time it promulgates the Risk Management Program regulations. DATES: Those who wish to express their views concerning the material contained in the guidances should submit written comments by February 29, 1996, to Docket A-91-73 Category VIII-B, at the address below, or via e-mail to A-and-R-Docket@epamail.epa.gov. ADDRESSES: Docket. These documents are in Docket A-91-73 Category VIIIA and available for public inspection and copying between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, including all non-Governmental holidays, at EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, room M1500, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (6102), 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460.
Electronic Access. These documents can be accessed in electronic format through the Internet system and through EPA's Technology Transfer Network (TTN), a network of electronic bulletin boards operated by the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. The Internet address of EPA's gopher server is GOPHER.EPA.GOV. This information is also available using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) on FTP.EPA.GOV or using World Wide Web (WWW) (http://earth1.epa.gov/ ceppo). The TTN service is free, except for the cost of a phone call. To access the TTN, dial (919) 541-5742 for up to a 14,400 bits per second (bps) modem. If more information on TTN is needed, contact the systems operator at (919) 541-5382.
Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by sending electronic mail (e-mail) to: A-and-R-Docket@epamail.epa.gov. Electronic comments must be submitted as ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1 file format or ASCII file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be identified by the docket number A-91-73 Category VIII-B. No Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be submitted through e-mail. Electronic comments on this draft guidance may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information on the ``Generic Guidance Risk Management Program (RMP) for Ammonia Refrigeration Facilities'' or the draft ``Risk Management Data Elements'', contact Lyse Helsing, (202) 260-6128. For technical information on the draft ``Offsite Consequence Assessment'', contact Craig Matthiessen, (202) 260-9781. To order copies of these documents, please FAX requests to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-toKnow Information Hotline (Hotline) at (703) 412-3333. The Hotline is also available to answer questions at (800) 535-0202 or (703) 412-9877 when calling from local Washington, DC area. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA announces the availability of draft guidances that will assist stationary sources in complying with the provisions of CAA section 112(r)(7)(B), including the requirement to prepare risk management plans. The documents made available today are drafts of guidances and would not, when finalized, create any obligations on the part of entities subject to CAA section 112(r)(7)(B); thus, these documents are neither regulations nor proposed regulations.
EPA proposed Risk Management Program regulations to implement CAA section 112(r)(7) on October 20, 1993 (58 FR 54190) and March 13, 1995 (60 FR 13528). For information on the proposed regulations, please see the above-referenced notices. Furthermore, for information on chemicals, sources, and processes subject to CAA section 112(r)(7), please see 40 CFR part 68 and the notice establishing these provisions (59 FR 4478, January 31, 1994).
The draft ``Offsite Consequence Assessment'' guidance contains all the methodologies and reference tables that would be necessary to develop and analyze the consequences of worst case and more likely (``alternative case'') scenarios for the regulations under CAA section 112(r)(7)(B). This guidance is designed to help those sources subject to section 112(r)(7) comply with the offsite consequence requirements without specific expertise or access to computer-based and more sophisticated modeling tools. EPA contemplates that sources will be able to use the modeling results contained in a final guidance or other appropriate modeling results in complying with the section 112(r)(7) regulations.
The draft ``Generic Guidance Risk Management Program (RMP) for Ammonia Refrigeration Facilities'' is a model program and plan that will help owners and operators of ammonia refrigeration facilities comply with the CAA section 112(r). The draft guidance includes a section on hazard assessment and on emergency response, and four appendices: (A) Selection of scenarios; (B) background information on ammonia modeling; (C) effect of ammonia releases on structures; and (D) refrigerated ammonia release modeling.
The Risk Management Program regulation will require submission of risk management plans. The draft Risk Management Data Elements maps out the kinds of information that would be submitted by each source as its risk management plan. The draft includes an executive summary, registration, data on worst case and alternative releases for toxics and for flammables, five-year [[Page 3032]]
accident history, prevention program, and emergency response program. Dated: January 23, 1996.
Jim Makris, Director, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office. [FR Doc. 96-1706 Filed 1-29-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P