On December 4, 1984, methyl isocyanate, an extremely toxic chemical, escaped from a chemical plant in Bhopal, India. Thousands died and many more were injured. Some suffered permanent disabilities. Approximately six months later, a similar incident occurred in West Virginia. These two events raised concern about local preparedness for chemical emergencies and the availability of information on hazardous chemicals.
In response to these concerns, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) in 1986 in order to help communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards. It should be noted that EPCRA was passed as part of a larger piece of legislation that year. Specifically, EPCRA is Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and SARA, itself, amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
EPCRA has five major provisions:
Information collected from these requirements helps states and communities develop a broad perspective of chemical hazards for the entire community, as well as for individual facilities. The chemicals covered by each of the sections are different, as are the quantities that trigger reporting. EPA regulations implementing EPCRA are codified in 40 CFR 350 to 372.
EPCRA generally requires: