Search Frequent Questions
Filter By:
- Permitting Under the Clean Air Act Total results: 19
- Air Emissions Inventories Total results: 34
- Asbestos Total results: 141
- Butte Area/Silver Bow Creek Total results: 17
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Total results: 33
- East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Total results: 148
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Total results: 301
- Fuel Program Total results: 693
- Great Lakes Funding Total results: 92
- Lead Total results: 398
- MOVES Total results: 57
- Norwood Landfill Site Total results: 30
- Oil Regulations Total results: 96
- Radiation Total results: 1
- Risk Management Program (RMP) Total results: 285
- Southeast Minnesota Groundwater Total results: 11
Active filters:
Remove all filtersDisplaying 1 - 15 of 44 results
-
What is a reactive and non-reactive solid EHS?
Reactive solid means any extremely hazardous substance denoted with “a” in the “Notes” column in Appendix A or B of 40 CFR 355. Reactive solids are more likely than other solids to be dispersed into the air due to the energy or heat created from their reactivity with water or…
- Last published:
-
How did states form their SERCs?
How are States expected to form their State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) as required under Title III? States are required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Title III. The SERC may consist of existing emergency response organizations or may be an entirely new mechanism to address this…
- Last published:
-
Pesticide applicator quantity applied to threshold or transportation exemption
A farmer contracts with an applicator to spray pesticides on his fields. The applicator drives a tank truck onto the farmers' field and sprays the pesticide from the truck onto the fields. For purposes of Section 302 emergency planning requirements, are the EHSs in the truck considered present at the…
- Last published:
-
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…
- Last published:
-
Section 302 notification requirements and mixtures with unknown components
Are facilities exempt from Section 302 notification requirements if they produce, use, or store mixtures whose extremely hazardous substance component information is not available on the MSDS provided by the manufacturer? If the facility which produces, uses, or stores mixtures knows or reasonably should know the components of the mixture…
- Last published:
-
What is the definition of “overburdened community” that is relevant for EPA Actions and Promising Practices?
EPA Actions and Promising Practices apply the description of overburdened communities articulated in EPA’s Plan EJ 2014. The term is used to describe the minority, low‐income, tribal and indigenous populations or communities in the United States that potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks due to exposures or cumulative impacts…
- Last published:
-
How will an EPA regional office determine whether a permitted activity impacts a potential overburdened community? What screening tool or process will EPA regional offices use to screen permit applications?
The Agency has developed a nationally consistent screening tool to help identify communities that are potentially overburdened. This tool, known as EJSCREEN, is one of several tools being developed under Plan EJ 2014. EPA anticipates that its regional offices will use EJSCREEN and other readily available information, including known community…
- Last published:
-
Some of the Promising Practices are mentioned in EPA regulations, guidance and recommendations that EPA has issued in the past. So why is EPA issuing the Promising Practices?
EPA is issuing Promising Practices to encourage permit applicants to strategically plan and conduct enhanced outreach to overburdened communities in the permitting process. As some commenters noted, EPA has recommended some of the outreach strategies included in Promising Practices previously. Nevertheless, EPA believes that it is important to issue Promising…
- Last published:
-
TPQ calculations for hazardous substances in molten form
Facilities are subject to emergency planning and notification requirements under EPCRA (also known as SARA Title III) when an extremely hazardous substance (EHS) is present at a facility in an amount equal to or in excess of its TPQ. For some EHSs that are solids, two TPQs are given (e.g…
- Last published:
-
Reporting responsibility under EPCRA §302 for a facility with several unrelated companies?
A public warehouse is used by several unrelated companies to store extremely hazardous substances (EHSs). For purposes of emergency planning notification, who is responsible, under EPCRA Section 302, for notifying the State Emergency Response Commission if a threshold planning quantity (TPQ) of an EHS is present at the warehouse? The…
- Last published:
-
Are permit applicants required to adopt the Promising Practices?
EPA is not requiring permit applicants to adopt the Promising Practices. Promising Practices are simply that: good ideas in the form of suggestions to permit applicants. Permit applicants may benefit from applying these Promising Practices. EPA hopes that when permit applicants practice early and meaningful dialogue with the community, they…
- Last published:
-
EPA Actions does not require EPA regional offices to prioritize the same types of permits and adopt the same outreach activities. Why doesn’t EPA require regional offices to always prioritize certain permits and always do certain outreach activities?
EPA Actions strikes an important balance between national consistency and regional flexibility. The Agency‐wide guidelines establish national consistency by providing EPA’s expectations for the regional implementation plans. At the same time, EPA recognizes that the regional offices need the flexibility to take actions suited to the types of permits and…
- Last published:
-
Do EPA Actions or the Promising Practices in the Federal Register notice apply to permits that are issued by state, tribal, or local permitting authorities, or just permits that are issued by EPA?
EPA Actions and Promising Practices apply only to permits that are issued by EPA. It does not apply to permits issued by state, tribal or local governments under authority delegated by EPA. By addressing environmental justice in its permits, EPA is leading by example among federal departments and agencies. EPA…
- Last published:
-
If permit applicants are not required to adopt the Promising Practices, why should a permit applicant adopt them?
EPA hopes that the practices described will persuade those who are new to these ideas to experiment with this form of leadership. Indeed, engaging with their communities as described in Promising Practices is consistent with many permit applicants’ core values. These principles, practices and values lead to corporate sustainability, stability…
- Last published:
-
Are tribal and indigenous communities within the definition of overburdened communities?
Tribal and indigenous communities are included in EPA’s definition of overburdened communities under Plan EJ 2014. For nearly thirty years, EPA has worked with federally recognized tribal governments on a government‐to‐government basis as sovereigns, partners, and co‐regulators. EPA has also worked with indigenous communities to address their environmental and health…
- Last published: