Reporting Requirements

For releases of hazardous substances, the federal government has establisheda Superfund Reportable Quantities (RQs). RQs trigger the reporting requirements under Superfund law. If ahazardous substance is released to the environment in an amount that equalsor exceeds its RQ, the release must be reported to federal authoritiesso that emergency response personnel can evaluate whether a response actionis needed. The RQ value is not the only factor used to determine whetherfederal notification requirements apply. There are reporting exemptions for hazardous substance releases.

Under the EmergencyPlanning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986, the federalgovernment has designated several hundred substances as "extremelyhazardous substances" based on their acute lethal toxicity. Underthe law, releases of these extremely hazardous substances trigger reportingrequirements to state and local authorities, as well as the federal authorities. Specifically, EPA requiresthat the owner or operator of a facility that releases an extremely hazardoussubstance in an amount greater than its established RQ notify the stateemergency response commission and the local emergency planning committeeestablished for the location where the incident occurs.

There are over 100 chemicalsthat are designated as both a Superfund hazardous substance and an EPCRAextremely hazardous substance. In the event of a release of any of thesesubstances, the person responsible for the release is required to contactall of the appropriate federal, state, and local authorities.