Learn the Issues
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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…
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Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling
The area will transform MSW information( to include what was in our Advancing SMM report) to better serve our audience’s needs. It will also hold data on certain industrial wastes, related job creation, and in the future, hazardous waste.
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Waste Reduction Model
To help solid waste planners and organizations track/report GHG emissions reductions from various waste management practices. To assist in calculating GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices and provide the history of WARM.
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Sustainable Materials Management
To introduce businesses, NGOs, and government officials to the concept of Sustainable Materials Management (SMM). To provide tools to allow stakeholders to take a lifecycle approach managing their materials, & to encourage them to join a SMM challenge.
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Sustainable Management of Food
To provide information to organizations to help them implement sustainable food management, including joining the Food Recovery Challenge. To provide education and information to communities and concerned citizens.
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Ammonia present in ammonium hydroxide
The list of regulated toxic substances at 40 CFR Section 68.130 includes both "ammonia (anhydrous)" and "ammonia (conc 20% or greater)," but does not include a specific listing for "ammonium hydroxide." The Chemical Abstract Registry Service (CAS) number for ammonium hydroxide is 1336-21-6, and the CAS number for ammonia is…
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Moss Landing Vistra Battery Fire Response
As guests in the Monterey community, we are committed to completing our work with the utmost respect and collaboration with Monterey County and other local officials. Transparency and community engagement throughout the process is central to our approach.
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RMP Covered Facilities
Who is covered by the RMP rule under CAA §112(r)(7)? Section 112(r) of the CAA contains several provisions. The two most relevant to the regulated community at this time are Sections 112(r)(1) and 112(r)(7). Owners and operators of stationary sources at which regulated or any other extremely hazardous substances are…
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Ammonia used as agricultural nutrient held by farmers and the general duty clause
Does the exemption at 40 CFR 68.125 for "ammonia used as an agricultural nutrient, when held by farmers" apply to the CAA Section 112(r)(1) general duty clause? No. The exemption for ammonia held by farmers for use as fertilizer applies only to the provisions of the risk management program regulations…
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Will the general duty clause be delegated?
The general duty clause (CAA section 112(r)(1)) is not included in Part 68 and, therefore, will not be delegated to states that have taken implementation of the RMP program. States, however, may adopt their own general duty clause under state law.
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Applicability for a process at a facility connected to another facility by piping
The definition of process would seem to say that my process is part of the larger company’s process because they are interconnected. Why can’t the larger company just include my process in its RMP? Your process is not part of the larger company’s stationary source because it does not meet…
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Are "tube" trailers considered a single process?
Tube trailers carry bulk liquids that are stacked in a rack type arrangement on the back of a truck trailer. This arrangement often is used to carry highly hazardous materials such as anhydrous hydrogen chloride. The tubes are manifolded together, but usually only one tube at a time is connected…
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Are chemicals in a tank car exempt from threshold determinations under 40 CFR Part 68?
The definition of stationary source does not apply to transportation, including storage incident to transportation (40 CFR Section 68.3). Are chemicals in a tank car (e.g., tanker truck or rail car) therefore exempt from threshold determination? The chemicals in the tank car are exempt only if the tank car is…
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Are explosives listed regulated substances under CAA 112(r)?
No. Explosives classified by the Department of Transportation as Class 1, Division 1.1 were initially listed as regulated substances with a threshold quantity of 5,000 pounds because of their potential to cause offsite impacts ( 59 FR 4478; January 31, 1994). In accordance with a Settlement Agreement between EPA and…
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Can the partial pressure exemption be applied to formaldehyde solutions?
Formaldehyde is not specifically listed with a concentration cutoff, but is listed with the qualifier "solution". Can the partial pressure exemption be applied to formaldehyde solutions? According to 40 CFR §68.115, the amount of any listed toxic substance present in a mixture at a concentration greater than 1% does not…
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Determining thresholds for different chemicals in interconnected vessels
According to the definition of "process" in 40 CFR §68.3, any group of vessels that are interconnected is considered to be a single process. If a stationary source has two interconnected vessels and one contains 6,000 pounds of butane while the other contains 6,000 pounds of propane, is this a…
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Amounts of regulated substances in a delivery truck's tank
My stationary source has a process that contains a maximum of 4,000 lbs. of a regulated substance that has a 5,000 lb. threshold quantity. When the level of the regulated substance in the process reaches 1,000 lbs., a delivery truck comes on site and connects to the process to replenish…
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Are different substances aggregated for threshold determinations?
A toxic substance is never aggregated with a different toxic substance to determine whether a threshold quantity is present. If your process consists of co-located vessels with different toxic substances, you must determine whether each substance exceeds its threshold quantity. A flammable substance in one vessel is never aggregated with…
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Applicability for piping between companies
I operate a single covered process on a site owned by a large company. I manufacture a regulated substance that I pipe to the other company for use in its processes. At what point do the piping and substance become part of the other company’s stationary source? The answer will…
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Are bulk storage terminals exempt from filing a Risk Management Plan?
There is no general exemption for bulk storage terminals. However, the threshold exemption for "regulated substances in naturally occurring hydrocarbon mixtures prior to entry into a natural gas processing plant or a petroleum refining processing unit" would exempt certain storage terminals, such as crude oil storage terminals where the regulated…