Search Frequent Questions

Displaying 1 - 15 of 40 results

• What is a reactive and non-reactive solid EHS?

  Reactive solid means any extremely hazardous substance denoted with “a” in the “Notes” column in Appendix A or B of 40 CFR 355. Reactive solids are more likely than other solids to be dispersed into the air due to the energy or heat created from their reactivity with water or…

  • Last published: April 9, 2024

• How did states form their SERCs?

  How are States expected to form their State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) as required under Title III? States are required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Title III. The SERC may consist of existing emergency response organizations or may be an entirely new mechanism to address this…

  • Last published: April 9, 2024

• Pesticide applicator quantity applied to threshold or transportation exemption

  A farmer contracts with an applicator to spray pesticides on his fields. The applicator drives a tank truck onto the farmers' field and sprays the pesticide from the truck onto the fields. For purposes of Section 302 emergency planning requirements, are the EHSs in the truck considered present at the…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• State refusing to comply with the emergency planning provisions

  What will happen if a State refuses to comply with the emergency planning provisions? A governor who does not designate a State emergency response commission becomes the commission by default. While the governor could choose not to fulfill any of the Title III provisions, the public could still request information…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• Section 302 notification requirements and mixtures with unknown components

  Are facilities exempt from Section 302 notification requirements if they produce, use, or store mixtures whose extremely hazardous substance component information is not available on the MSDS provided by the manufacturer? If the facility which produces, uses, or stores mixtures knows or reasonably should know the components of the mixture…

  • Last published: May 8, 2024

• How do I contact EPA about lead concerns in my area?

  Answer: You may call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD(5323) or visit our Contact Us about Lead page . You can also report violations online . Question Number: 23002-33312 Find a printable PDF copy of all frequent questions pertaining to lead .

  • Last published: October 31, 2024

• Can renovator training courses, both initial and refresher courses, be taught online or via distance learning?

  Answer: The final Renovation, Repair and Painting regulation, like the abatement program, permits the use of alternative training techniques (e.g., video training, computer-based training) as a supplement to the hands-on skills assessment, or as a substitute for the lecture portion of the training course requirements outlined in § 745.225. In…

  • Last published: November 5, 2024

• If a remodeling company that is a certified firm uses all contractual workers rather than employees, must each contractual worker be a certified renovator, or can the workers be trained on the job by a certified renovator employed by the firm?

  Firms hiring contractual workers may provide the certified renovator that oversees the renovation project and provides on-the-job training to contractual workers and other non-certified workers. Question Number: 23002-18377 Find a printable PDF copy of all frequent questions pertaining to lead .

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• Is the certified renovator assigned to a specific project responsible for the work practices of other contractors on the project if the certified renovator is an employee of the general contractor of the project?

  All firms performing renovations must ensure that all individuals performing renovation activities on behalf of the firm are either certified renovators or have been trained by a certified renovator. A firm acting as a general contractor may satisfy this requirement by hiring another certified firm that takes responsibility for ensuring…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• What about a situation where the homeowner is acting as their own general contractor and hires multiple companies to do different portions of the work? In this situation, would each business participating be required to follow the rules and assign a separate certified renovator to supervise their portion of the work including separate containment?

  Answer: While the homeowner may be performing the role of general contractor by hiring firms and organizing their work, the homeowner is not performing, offering, or claiming to perform a renovation and therefore does not need to be a certified firm. The firms hired by the homeowner to perform renovation…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• The certified renovator is required to have proof of their certification at the work site. If the certified renovator provides on-the-job training to workers, does there need to be documentation of that training at the work site too?

  Answer: No. Certified renovators must have with them at the work site copies of their initial course completion certificate and their most recent refresher course completion certificate. Certified renovators are also responsible for providing training to non-certified workers on the work practices they will be using in performing their assigned…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• What training requirements apply to non-certified workers who have previous EPA/HUD lead-safe work practices training or accredited abatement supervisor or worker training?

  The Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule requires certified renovators to provide on-the-job training (OJT) to non-certified workers on the work practices they will be using in performing their assigned tasks. The amount of OJT needed and the topics that need to be covered depend on the knowledge and…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• TPQ calculations for hazardous substances in molten form

  Facilities are subject to emergency planning and notification requirements under EPCRA (also known as SARA Title III) when an extremely hazardous substance (EHS) is present at a facility in an amount equal to or in excess of its TPQ. For some EHSs that are solids, two TPQs are given (e.g…

  • Last published: April 12, 2024

• Reporting responsibility under EPCRA §302 for a facility with several unrelated companies?

  A public warehouse is used by several unrelated companies to store extremely hazardous substances (EHSs). For purposes of emergency planning notification, who is responsible, under EPCRA Section 302, for notifying the State Emergency Response Commission if a threshold planning quantity (TPQ) of an EHS is present at the warehouse? The…

  • Last published: April 15, 2024

• Can states designate liquified petroleum gas facilities under Section 302

  Does the statute allow the state to designate facilities which produce, use, or store certain quantities of liquified petroleum gas as emergency planning facilities? EPA considers the designation of additional facilities to be accomplished through naming individual sites or companies, or by designation of certain classes of facilities as newly…

  • Last published: July 25, 2024