Learn the Issues
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Presentations at Non-EPA Events
Find presentations that LMOP has given at non-EPA events. LMOP presents on the state of the landfill gas (LFG) energy industry, about the program itself, and trends in LFG energy project development.
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Are pharmaceutical research pilot plants exempt from 311 and 312?
A pharmaceutical research lab contains a pilot plant of its overall operation. The products manufactured in the pilot plant are not sold, but are distributed to hospitals and other health care facilities for use in continued clinical testing. Is the pilot plant exempt or must it report its hazardous chemicals…
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Are manufacturers of household products exempt from reporting under 311 and 312?
Is a facility that manufactures household products exempt from reporting under Sections 311 and 312 due to the household products exemption in Title III? Section 311(e) exempts from the definition of "hazardous chemical" any substance to the extent it is used for personal, family, or household purposes, or is present…
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Are hazardous chemicals blended for fertilizer exempted under agricultural use exemption?
Ammonia and phosphoric acid are held for sale by a retailer in large storage tanks. The retailer sells both ammonia and phosphoric acid to farmers to be used as fertilizers. The retailer also blends ammonia with phosphoric acid to produce a new compound which, in turn, is also sold to…
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Are chemicals used at nursing home exempted under medical facility exemption?
Are chemicals used at nursing homes exempt from reporting under Sections 311/312 due to the medical facility exemption under Section 311(e)(4)? While a nursing home is treated like any other medical facility for Section 311/312 purposes, Section 311(e)(4) does not exempt a medical facility from all Section 311/312 reporting. Section…
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Applicability determination for one chemical in different physical states
A facility is required to keep two MSDSs on file for the same hazardous chemical (oxygen); one for the gas phase and one for liquid phase because they present different risks. Would the same chemical present at a facility in different physical states be aggregated for threshold determinations? The applicability…
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311/312 - Thresholds for retail gas station with aboveground and underground tanks
If a retail gas station stores gasoline or diesel fuel in both aboveground and underground tanks, what EPCRA thresholds do they apply to determine if they have to report gasoline or diesel fuel on their Tier I or II form? If they have to report, do they report all the…
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State refusing to comply with the emergency planning provisions
What will happen if a State refuses to comply with the emergency planning provisions? A governor who does not designate a State emergency response commission becomes the commission by default. While the governor could choose not to fulfill any of the Title III provisions, the public could still request information…
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Section 302 notification requirements for transportation of EHSs
How do Section 302 notification requirements apply to transportation of an extremely hazardous substance (EHS)? Although Section 302 reporting requirements do not apply to the transportation of any EHS, including transportation by pipeline, or storage of EHS under active shipping papers, transportation activities within a community should be addressed in…
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Primary purpose of Section 302 notification requirements
What is the primary purpose of Section 302 notification requirements? Notifications indicating that a facility has one or more extremely hazardous substances in excess of the threshold planning quantity help to identify locations within the State where emergency planning activities can be initially focused. While the substances on the list…
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How are the activities of "farm cooperatives" interpreted for reporting purposes?
Farm cooperatives would be subject to Sections 311 and 312 reporting requirements.
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How are mixtures handled for Sections 311 and 312 reporting?
The owner or operator of a facility may meet the requirements of Sections 311 and 312 by choosing one of two options: • Providing the required information on each component that is a hazardous chemical within the mixture. In this case, the concentration of the hazardous chemical in weight percent…
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Generic 311/312 reporting for oil fields or wells
A petroleum company owns many oil wells on a large oil field. Each well is on its own plot of land. These plots of land are not adjacent or contiguous and the oil field itself spans many local planning districts. For purposes of Sections 311/312 reporting, is each oil well…
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For 311 list reports, how are mixtures identified?
For Section 311 reporting, how are mixtures identified if a list is submitted instead of the MSDSs? An owner or operator can comply with the requirements of Section 311 for a mixture of hazardous chemicals by providing the common or trade name of the mixture listed by hazard category or…
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Filing state trade secret provisions
A chemical company in Louisiana filed their Section 311/312 reports by hazardous components. The Louisiana State Right-to-Know laws require companies to report on all unique substances present at the facility. For example, if chemical A and chemical B are blended to make mixture C, than the facility would have to…
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Filing trade secrecy claims internationally
A chemical company has one operation in a foreign country and an identical operation in the U.S. For one chemical, they wish to file a trade secrecy claim under Sections 311 and 312. With regard to public disclosure, all non-government entities in the foreign country are bound by a confidentiality…
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Exemption for research laboratories and medical facilities under 311 and 312
Are research laboratories and medical facilities exempt from reporting under Sections 311 and 312? Research laboratories and medical facilities are not exempt from reporting requirements under Sections 311 and 312, rather, Section 311(c)(4) of Title III excludes from the definition of hazardous chemical: "Any substance to the extent it is…
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Does a facility have an option how to report a mixture containing EHS?
Under Sections 311 and 312, when extremely hazardous substances are contained within a mixture, does a facility still have the option to report the mixture as a whole or by its hazardous components? Yes, the mixture may be reported as a whole or by its hazardous components. To determine whether…
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Do facilities that submit lists have to file revised MSDSs?
If a facility submits a list to comply with Section 311, does the facility have to supply a revised MSDS with significant new information or a new MSDS for substances that become present on-site after the initial reporting deadline and exceed the threshold within three months as required by Section…
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Can retail gas stations use new thresholds if USTs are not in compliance?
How does temporary non-compliance with UST requirements affect applicability of the higher gasoline and diesel fuel thresholds for EPCRA? Retail gas stations that were not in compliance with all applicable UST requirements at any time during a calendar year may not apply the higher gasoline and diesel fuel thresholds for…