Learn the Issues
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Release reporting requirements for radionuclides
What are radionuclides and what reporting requirements apply to their release? A radionuclide is a type of atom with an unstable nucleus. The atom releases energy by a process of decay called radioactivity. There are approximately 1,500 known radionuclides. All radionuclides are hazardous substances because they are designated generically as…
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Release of metal in solid form
If a metal is released in solid form at or above its Reportable Quantity (RQ), is it considered a reportable release? The Agency allows exclusions for massive forms of certain metals (antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium, and zinc) when the diameter of the released…
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Release of a RCRA-delisted hazardous waste
If a company has had its petition to delist a specific Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste granted by an EPA-approved State RCRA program, and that company releases this waste in excess of its Reportable Quantity (RQ), is it required to notify the National Response Center (NRC)? Under…
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Release of a hazardous substance in an encapsulated form
Is the release of a Reportable Quantity (RQ) or more of a CERCLA hazardous substance in an encapsulated form reportable? The term "release" is defined in CERCLA section 101(22) as any "...spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment (including the abandonment…
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Release notification for disposal into RCRA-regulated facility
Would disposal of a hazardous substance into a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C permitted facility or interim status facility be reportable? No. The disposal of hazardous substances into a disposal facility in accordance with EPA regulations is not subject to CERCLA notification provisions. Where the disposal of…
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Person in charge for CERCLA release reporting
How does one determine who is the person in charge? Determining who is the person in charge depends on a number of variables, including the specific operation involved, the management structure, and other case-specific considerations. EPA believes that it is unnecessary and impractical for the government to determine the person…
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Mineral spirits excluded from the CERCLA?
Are mineral spirits considered petroleum derivatives and therefore excluded from the CERCLA definition of hazardous substance? In most cases, yes. CERCLA section 101(14) specifically excludes petroleum from the definition of hazardous substance, consequently petroleum releases are not subject to CERCLA reporting and liability provisions. The petroleum exclusion includes "crude oil…
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Liability for damages caused by a release below the RQ
If a facility releases a hazardous substance below its Reportable Quantity (RQ) level, could it be liable for damages caused by the release? Yes. A release of a CERCLA hazardous substance below its RQ does not preclude liability from any damages that may result, including the costs of cleaning up…
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Is there a concentration cutoff below which it is not necessary to report a release?
Is there a concentration cutoff below which it is not necessary to report a release, even though a Reportable Quantity (RQ) might have been exceeded over a 24-hour period? No. There are no concentration cutoffs for the RQs (i.e., a lower-bound concentration below which reporting would not be required). Unless…
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Is blended (oxygenated) gasoline excluded?
Does blended (oxygenated) gasoline fall within the scope of the CERCLA petroleum exclusion? Historically, the Agency has interpreted the CERCLA section 101(14) petroleum exclusion to cover crude oil and the crude oil constituents that are indigenous to the petroleum (e.g., xylene), or that are normally mixed with or added to…
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How did EPA determine TPQs for EHSs?
How did EPA determine threshold planning quantities for extremely hazardous substances? The Agency assigned chemicals to threshold planning quantity (TPQ) categories based on an index that accounts for the toxicity and the potential of each chemical, in an accidental release, to become airborne. This approach does not give a measure…
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How are releases during transportation or storage incident to transportation covered under Section 304?
Section 304 covers all releases of listed hazardous or extremely hazardous substances, including those involved in transportation in excess of the reportable quantity (RQ). Owners or operators of transportation facilities may call 911 or the local telephone operator, in order to satisfy Section 304 notification requirements when a release occurs…
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Facilities or vessels covered under CERCLA release reporting requirements
What facilities or vessels are covered under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) release reporting requirements? CERCLA section 101(9) defines facility broadly to include any site or area where a hazardous substance is located, but the definition specifically excludes consumer products in consumer use. Vessel is defined in…
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Emergency release notification and trade secret chemicals
Question No. 3 of the trade secret substantiation form requires the submitter to list all local, state, and federal government entities to which the submitter has disclosed the specific chemical identity. Does the submitter need to report Section 304 emergency release notification if the submitter had a covered reportable release…
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Can the de minimis concept be used with Section 304 release reporting?
Can the "de minimis" concept used in determining the threshold planning quantities in mixtures be applied in the determination of the reportable quantity for emergency release notification? No. The "de minimis" quantity was set in place for threshold planning quantities simply to make the calculation of the total amount of…
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Can the RQ assigned to hydrochloric acid be used for hydrogen chloride gas?
Hydrogen chloride gas is introduced into water to form hydrochloric acid. Saturation for this reaction occurs at 38 percent (%). Therefore, any hydrogen chloride present after the saturation point is reached, does not go into solution and will remain in the gaseous state. Can the reportable quantity (RQ) assigned to…
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Are the quantities of different hazardous constituents additive?
In determining whether a Reportable Quantity (RQ) has been released, are the quantities of different hazardous constituents additive under the mixture rule? No. RQs of different substances are not additive under the mixture rule; releasing a mixture containing half an RQ of one hazardous substance (other than radionuclides) and half…
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Are releases into a POTW subject to CERCLA section 103(a) reporting requirements?
Are releases of a pollutant into a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), when the pollutant is specified in and in compliance with the pretreatment standards of the Clean Water Act, subject to CERCLA section 103(a) reporting requirements? No. The introduction of any pollutant into a POTW, when the pollutant is…
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What is the 312 deadline if March 1 falls on a weekend?
Under EPCRA §312, Tier II information for any calendar year must be submitted to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), and local fire department by March 1st of the following year. What if the March 1st reporting deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday? Tier…
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What are the differences between Tier I and Tier II forms?
The reporting under Section 312 is in two tiers, Tier I and Tier II. What are the general differences between the two forms? Section 312 includes a two tier approach. Tier I requires information (such as maximum amount of hazardous chemicals at the facility during the preceding year, an estimate…