Learn the Issues
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Safety Zones
These are established primarily to reduce the accidental spread of hazardous substances by workers or equipment from contaminated areas to clean areas. They include the exclusion (hot) zone, contamination reduction (warm) zone, and support (cold) zone.
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Who Pays
By law, the parties responsible for the use, transportation, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances and oil are liable for the cost of containment, cleanup, and damages resulting from a release, or threat of release, related to their own activities.
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Possible Exposure Pathways During Emergencies
There are three basic ways a person may be exposed to a hazardous substance: inhalation, ingestion, or direct contact. Points of contact include groundwater or surface water; soil, sediment, or dust; air; or food.
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What Information is Needed When Reporting an Oil Spill or Hazardous Substance Release?
what to include in your report to the National Response Center. You can also report to the EPA Regional Office or US Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in the area where the incident occurred.
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Emergency Response and Recognizing Hazardous Substance Releases
Understand warning signs, put safety first, and report to the National Response Center.
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Responding to an Incident
When a release or spill occurs, the company responsible for the release, its response contractors, the local fire and police departments, and the local emergency response personnel provide the first line of defense.
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Safety First
Following basic safety precautions helps to keep you and other bystanders safe, and assists the trained first responders in identifying and controlling the hazardous substance release.
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Sample Calculations for Constructing New Secondary Containment
This worksheet determines the possible dimensions for a rectangular or square dike or berm to meet the secondary containment requirement for aboveground bulk storage containers.
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Rectangular or Square Remote Impoundment Structure Blank Worksheet
This worksheet can be used to calculate the containment volume of a rectangular or square remote impoundment structure providing secondary containment for an aboveground tank storage facility.
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Sample Calculations to Determine Secondary Containment Volume for Multiple Horizontal Cylindrical Tanks Inside a Rectangular or Square Dike or Berm
This worksheet calculates the secondary containment volume of a rectangular or square dike or berm for three horizontal cylindrical tanks.
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Mobile fuel tanker as a facility
Is a non-transportation related mobile fuel tanker with more than 55 gallons located near a 55 gallon drum storage area considered a facility? Perhaps. "Facility" is defined in Part 112 to mean "any mobile or fixed, onshore or offshore building, structure, installation, equipment, pipe, or pipeline (other than a vessel…
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Submittal Process when Claiming Confidential Business Information (CBI)
Pursuant to the risk management program regulations, facilities may make a claim of confidential business information (CBI) unless otherwise stated in 40 CFR §68.151. How does a facility that is claiming CBI submit its RMP? For a facility to claim information as CBI, the facility must submit to EPA a…
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What does "relief system design basis" mean?
Relief systems include, but are not limited to, relief valves, relief headers, relief drums, and rupture disks. Design basis means documenting how the loads and sizes of the relief system, as well as inlet and outlet sizes, were determined. This includes a description of overpressure scenarios considered, the scenario that…
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Definition of Fuel
A flammable substance listed in 40 CFR §68.130 is excluded from the risk management program regulations when it is used as a fuel or held for sale as a fuel at a retail facility (§68.126). What is the definition of fuel for the purposes of this exclusion? There is no…
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What is the general duty clause?
What is the general duty clause under CAA §112(r)(1)? The CAA general duty clause directs owners and operators of stationary sources to identify hazards that may result from accidental releases, to design and maintain a safe facility, and to minimize the consequences of releases when they occur.
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What is a wellhead protection area and how can a facility determine if it is located in one?
Pursuant to 40 CFR §112.20, a facility that could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters or adjoining shorelines must prepare and submit a Facility Response Plan (FRP). Section 112.20(h)(2) and Part 112, Appendix F, Section 1.2 require…
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RMP*eSubmit preparer access
How does a new Preparer get access to a Risk Management Plan (RMP) via RMP*eSubmit? First, the person must register with CDX. To register with CDX, go to https://cdx.epa.gov/ and complete the registration process for a Risk Management Plan “Preparer”. Once set up as a “Preparer”, the Certifying Official needs…
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Requesting RMP*eSubmit authorization code
As the Certifying Official, how can I retrieve our lost Authorization Code needed by our new Preparer to access the facility’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) within RMP*eSubmit? The Certifying Official should contact the RMP Reporting Center (RMPRC@epacdx.net / 703-227-7650) to request the Authorization Code.
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Difference between an SPCC Tier I and Tier II qualified facility
In the SPCC regulations in 40 CFR Part 112, what is the difference between a Tier I and Tier II qualified facility? How did EPA establish the multi-tiered approach for qualified facilities? A Tier II qualified facility is one that has an aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity of 10,000 U.S…
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Presentation on the Future Direction of Urban Waters Partnership, January 8, 2015
A presentation about the future direction of Urban Waters Partnership on January 8, 2015.
