Is there an EPA enforcement policy for violators of CAA §112 and the risk management program rule?
Yes, EPA has issued a Final Combined Enforcement Policy for section §112(r) Risk Management Program.
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Yes, EPA has issued a Final Combined Enforcement Policy for section §112(r) Risk Management Program.
A covered process that is ineligible for Program 1 will be subject to Program 3 requirements if the process is in one of ten specified North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes, or is subject to the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) standard (40 CFR Part 68.10(d)). When determining Program…
What is the difference between an update and a correction to a risk management plan (RMP)? Updates and resubmissions require the owner or operator to review and revise all sections of the RMP as needed to bring the RMP up to date and the submission must be accompanied by a…
The eligibility criteria for Program 1 status under 40 CFR Part 68 include a requirement that the process must not have had an accidental release resulting in serious offsite consequences for the past five years (40 CFR §68.10(b)(1)). Can a newly-constructed process that has no accident history qualify for Program…
I recently submitted my five-year RMP update required by section 68.190 (b)(1) and included my accident history for the previous five years. Two months later, we had another reportable accident. Do I have to do anything to revise my RMP? Yes. You must revise your accident history within six months…
A facility subject to the risk management program regulations must submit its risk management plan (RMP) to EPA via the RMP*eSubmit system. Does EPA confirm receipt of the facility's RMP? When a facility's certifying official submits a complete RMP to EPA using RMP*eSubmit, the system will automatically generate and send…
The owner or operator of a stationary source subject to 40 CFR Part 68 must include a five-year accident history that includes significant accidental releases of one or more of the regulated substances from a covered process in the five years prior to the submission of an initial or updated…
If my state administers the OSHA program under a delegation from the federal OSHA, does that mean that my processes that are subject to OSHA PSM under the state rules are in Program 3? Yes, as long as the process does not qualify for Program 1. Any process subject to…
Does EPA interpret the Program 3 process hazard analysis - stationary source siting requirement analogously to OSHA's Process Safety Management standard? Yes. The requirement to consider stationary source siting during the process hazard analysis means that you should consider the location of the covered vessels and evaluate whether their location…
For new processes, you must document both material and energy inputs and outputs of a process. For example, you would document the quantity of a regulated substance added to the process, the quantity consumed during the process, and the quantity that remains in the output. This requirement will not generally…
Under the risk management program regulations in 40 CFR Part 68, if a Program 1 process contains a threshold amount of both a regulated toxic substance and a regulated flammable substance, should a worst case release scenario be analyzed for each of the substances in the process? Yes, a worst…
My processes are fenced, but my offices and parking lot for customers are not restricted. What is considered offsite? What is considered a public receptor? The unrestricted areas would be considered offsite. However, they would not be public receptors because you are responsible for the safety of those who work…
Passive mitigation is defined in § 68.3 as "equipment, devices, or technologies that function without human, mechanical, or other energy input." Passive mitigation systems include building enclosures, dikes, and containment walls. Measures such as fire sprinkler systems, water curtains, valves, scrubbers, or flares would not be considered passive mitigation because…
The risk management program regulations in 40 CFR Part 68 are applicable to owners or operators of stationary sources at which more than a threshold quantity of a regulated substance is present in a process (40 CFR Section 68.10(a)). Are all covered processes subject to identical risk management program requirements…
For the purpose of determining whether more than a threshold amount of a regulated substance is present at a stationary source under 40 CFR Part 68, certain exemptions may apply. One exemption is for regulated substances that are "manufactured, processed, or used in a laboratory at a stationary source under…