&EPA
                United States
                Environmental
                Protection Agency
                     Office of Solid Waste and
                     Emergency Response
                     (5104)
550-F98-002
January 1998
www. epa. gov/ceppo
Risk  Management
Program:
RMP*Submit™
RMP*Info™
                 CLEAN AIR ACT  Section  112(r)
                  FACTSHEET

   Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA)
   Amendments of 1990 requires EPA to publish
regulations focusing on the prevention of chemical
accidents. These new regulations build on both the
chemical safety work begun under the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA), and the Process Safety Management
regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA). A milestone in legislation,
EPCRA helps local communities prepare for and
respond to chemical accidents. It requires
communities to develop emergency response plans,
based on information from industry concerning
hazardous chemicals.  Under me CAA requirements,
stationary sources (facilities) must identify and assess
their chemical hazards and cany out certain activities
designed to reduce the likelihood and severity of
accidental chemical releases. Once information about
chemicals is openly shared, industry, government, and
the community can work to reduce the risk to public
health and the environment  On June 20,  19%, EPA
published the final rule for CAA §112(r), otherwise
called the Risk Management Plan Rule (RMP Rule)
(40CFRpart68).

 An estimated 64,000 facilities are subject to the RMP
 Rule based on the quantity of regulated substances
 they have onsite. These facilities are required to
 implement a Risk Management Program and submit a
 summary of the program (called the risk management
                         plan, or RMP) to a central location specified by EPA
                         by June 20, 1999. The RMP data will assist state and
                         local governments responsible for chemical
                         emergency preparedness and prevention. The data
                         gathered will also be useful to environmental groups,
                         community organizations, and the public in under-
                         standing the chemical risks in their communities.
                         EPA will use the RMP data to set priorities, target
                         resources, and measure the success of the Risk
                         Management Program (e.g., through the reduction of
                         severe accidents). In addition, EPA hopes the
                         availability of this information will stimulate the
                         dialogue between industry and the public to improve
                         accident prevention and emergency response practices
                         at the local level.

                         In October 1996, EPA convened a workgroup to
                         examine the technical and practical issues associated
                          with creating a national electronic repository of
                          RMPs. The workgroup membership consisted of the
                          following stakeholder groups: state and local
                          government, industry, environmental and public
                          interest groups and EPA.  The workgroup was charged
                          with recommending how the regulated community
                          would submit their risk management plans, as well as
                          how EPA, state and local governments, and the public
                          would have access to this information. The
                          workgroup decided on an electronic submission
                          system, named RMP*Submit They also chose an
                          Internet-based public access system called RMP*Info.
    Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office

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           RMP* Submit
RMP* Submit will provide RMP facilities with an
automated tool for submitting RMPs. Here are the
Electronic Submission Workgroup's
recommendations:

4  Develop a user-friendly, PC-based RMP
    Submission System available on diskettes and via
    the Internet;
•  Require electronic submission on diskette;
    however, an "electronic waiver" is available for
    facilities that are unable to comply;
+  Use a standards-based, open systems architecture
    so private companies can create compatible
    software;
+  Perform data quality checks, accept limited
    graphics, and provide on-line help including
    defining data elements and instructions; and

^  Accommodate, as appropriate, additional state
    chemicals (i.e., those listed under state, but not
     federal EPA risk management program
     regulations) and lower thresholds.
The software will run on Windows 3.1 and above.
There will not be a DOS or MAC version.

TIMELINE

 1.   April 5-9,  1998 —The first demonstration of the
     RMP*Submit and RMP*Info prototype at the
     1998 Hazardous Material Spills Conference
     (www.nrt.org/nrt/hazmat98.nsf)
 2.   August 1998—The final Method and Format for
     RMP submissions will be published in the
     Federal Register.
 3.   January 4,1999—RMP*Submit diskettes and
     paper forms will be available to the regulated
     community.
 4.   June 20, 1999 — deadline for compliance with
     the Risk Management Program.
                                        RMP*Info
                          BMROFACTS
                       The RMP Access System, named RMP*Info, will
                       provide the public easy access to RMPs.  To
                       accomplish this, the Workgroup offered the following
                       recommendations:

                       4   Establish a central system (RMP*Info) to provide
                            access to RMPs for all stakeholders;

                       4   All RMP data will be available on the Internet.
                            However, a decision has not yet been made on
                            whether or not the Offsite Consequence Analysis
                            data will be available on the Internet;

                       +   Make RMP*Info available through EPA's
                            EnviroFacts, a relational database that provides
                            access to seven EPA program databases;

                       +   Make RMP*Info available to the public on
                            January 4,1999, with the caveat that it will not
                            be complete until sometime after June 21,1999;

                       *   Allow RMP*Info to contain historical records for
                            fifteen years;
                       ^   Ensure  that RMP*Info provides search, report,
                            and help features;

                       +   Automatically notify State and local
                            Implementing Agencies when an RMP in their
                            jurisdiction has been updated; and

                        *   Develop a Technical Assistance help line that
                            will distribute RMP*Info data on diskettes and
                            paper for those who do not have Internet access.
 5.  After June 21, 1999-
     available.
RMP*Info will be
                          FOR MORE INFORMATION.
                             Contact the Emergency Planning and
                             Community Right-to-Know Hotline

                               (800) 424-9346 or  (703)412-9810
                                     TDD (800) 553-7672

                               Monday-Friday, 9am to 6pm, EST

                                 Visit the CEPPO Home Page:
                                  http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/
    Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office

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