Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)

The US Emergency Planning and Community
Right to Know Act (EPCRA)
was enacted to ensure that emergency
response officials are cognizant of
hazardous substances in communities
(42 U.S.C. §§ 11001-11050). EPCRA
requires facilities handling hazardous
substances to submit a chemical inventory
to State and local emergency
planning units. In the case of accidental
releases, EPCRA requires operators
to notify emergency planning units.
Failure to notify officials of hazardous
substances may result in civil penalties.
Failure to notify of a release of involving
an “extremely hazardous substance” is a
felony offense. Extremely hazardous
substances are identified at 40 CFR Part
355.
Other laws enacted to protect the
environment from pollution include the
Rivers and Harbors Act, the Safe Drinking
Water Act, the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA),
the Hazardous Materials Transportation
Statute, the National Environmental
Policy Act and the Marine Protection
Research and Sanctuary Act.

Author: international