President Clinton signed the Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act on August 5, 1999?

The law exempts Offsite Consequence Analysis (OCA) Data from Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and limits its public availability for a least one year, the legislation includes additional public reporting requirements that will have an impact on New Jersey.

Among other things, the new law requires every covered facility to:

Hold a public meeting to share information about the local implications of it's RMP, including a summary of the OCA portion of its plan

Notify the FBI by June 5th, 2000, that it held such a meeting or posted such a notice with in one year before, or six months after August 5, 1999

Tell EPA if it distributes its OCA data to the public without restrictions. EPA is to maintain a public list of the facilities that have so distributed their OCA data.

Do you know who (what) "SARA" is?

In 1986 Congress passed the "Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act" as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act

What are it's Goals?

First to provide a basis for each community to develop a chemical emergency preparedness and planning program that suits its individual needs. Second to provide the public with the identity, quality, location and properties of hazardous substances in the community as well as data on annual releases of certain chemicals into the environment.

What is an L.E.P.C.?

The State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) named the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and required there be 5 categories of membership providing for all the necessary elements of expertise.

What is my role? I am in the:

FEDERAL ROLE - provides national leadership in emergency planning, training, and implementation.

STATE ROLE - (through the SERC) provides statewide leadership in emergency planning, training and implementation

LOCAL ROLE - works with facilities and carries out emergency planning, community-right-to-know and response functions.

INDUSTRY ROLE - complies with TITLE III reporting requirements and participates actively with LEPC/SERC and CAP.

PUBLIC ROLE - is involved by increasing its awareness and understanding of chemical risks plus supporting actions to increase public safety and protection of the environment