Enforcement and Assistance in New England

EPCRA Programs

EPCRA

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-To- Know Act (EPCRA) established requirements for federal, state and local governments and industry regarding emergency planning and the reporting of hazardous and toxic chemicals. EPCRA gives the public and every community the right-to-know about chemicals that are being stored, transported or released into the environment. The key provisions of EPCRA are Tier II data collection and TRI reporting.

Tier II

Sections 311 and 312 requires facilities to submit information on chemical inventories to state and local officials for emergency planning purposes. These reports, known as Tier II, must be submitted annually. Tier II data is available to the public through their local emergency planning committees (LEPCs).

Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

Section 313 requires facilities that manufacture, process or use significant amounts of toxic chemicals to report annually on toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities. EPA maintains this information in its Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database which is available to the public over the internet. To help make completing the TRI reports easier for facilities, while at the same time improving the quality of the data, EPA-NE conducts extensive outreach and education for facilities on how to report via the internet. The Toxics Release Inventory–Made Easy (TRI-ME) software allows for direct data entry. TRI-ME checks the data for common errors and then prepares the forms — on paper, diskette or electronically over the internet — for submission to EPA.

Preventing Chemical Accidents & Releases

The Clean Air Act 112(r) program is designed to prevent chemical accidents and releases through a program of preparedness, response and prevention. The General Duty Clause of the program requires that owners and operators of facilities that produce, process and store extremely hazardous substances have a general duty to:

• identify hazards associated with an accidental release
• design and maintain a safe facility; and,
• minimize consequences of accidental releases that do occur.

The program also requires facilities to develop Risk Management Plans (RMP). An RMP includes an executive summary, chemical registration information, off-site release analysis, five-year accident history, a prevention program and an emergency response plan. Companies must also report any spills or other releases of hazards substances that exceeds certain thresholds. This reporting is required under Section 103 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Cameo & LandView

Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) is a system of software applications used to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. Front-line chemical emergency planners and responders use CAMEO to access, store and evaluate information critical for developing emergency response plans. LandView is software that provides federal environmental and census data on maps.

Exercises

EPA-New England’s HAZMAT exercise program works with a myriad of federal, state and local emergency planners and responders. Expanding roles of numerous agencies has underscored the need for proactive coordination and planning. Exercises conducted in all six New England states have assisted local communities to further develop their emergency response capabilities and enhance community awareness. The design and implementation of these exercises allows planners and responders to identify areas for improvement, such as safety, hazards assessment, communication, responder accountability and resource management.