&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 ------- 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 ------- |