Contact Superfund, Pacific Southwest
Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Chemical Safety Update for the Pacific Islands
EPCRA Facility Toxic Chemical Storage Reports Due March 1, 2011
Facilities storing large amounts of dangerous chemicals pose special risks to the surrounding communities. Federal laws are in place to minimize these dangers and make it easier for first responders to protect the public in the event of a chemical release.
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires that businesses provide local emergency responders with information on the hazardous substances present at their properties. Such information helps response planners ensure the safety of the community, firemen and other emergency responders in the event of a disaster, such as a chemical release, fire or typhoon.
Facilities in Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands must submit inventory reporting forms for storage of hazardous chemicals during calendar year 2010. The inventory forms must be filed by March 1, 2011. These reports need to be submitted every year to these local fire departments and leading territorial agencies implementing the EPCRA law:
Guam
- Guam Office of Civil Defense (CD) – Administrator
- Guam EPA – Administrator
- Guam Fire – Chief
CNMI
- CNMI Emergency Management Office (EMO) – Director
- CNMI Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – Director
- CNMI Fire – Commissioner
American Samoa
- American Samoa Department of Homeland Security / Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office (TEMCO) – TEMCO Administrator
- American Samoa EPA – Manager, Air and Land Program
- American Samoa Department of Public Safety, Fire – Chief
Financial Penalties for Non-Compliance
Facilities found in non-compliance are subject to penalties up to $37,500 per day. In 2010, the EPA fined six facilities, including hotels and other businesses in the Pacific Territories, which failed to report their large, stored amounts of diesel, propane, chlorine or other hazardous substances.
The following is a list of facilities in the Pacific Territories that completed expedited settlements with EPA in 2010 for EPCRA reporting violations regarding storage in 2009:
- Foremost Foods, Guam
- IT & E, Guam
- Unity Development Corporation, Guam
- Hafa Adai Beach Hotel, CNMI
- Pacific Islands Club, CNMI
- World Resort, CNMI
Additional Resources for Businesses
For additional information about the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, please visit EPA’s Chemical Emergency Prevention and Preparedness website.
The website has “quick finder” links to EPCRA fact sheets, the “Tier II Submit” forms, and the “List of Lists” which contains the “Title III Consolidated List of Lists” which details the chemicals and storage amounts subject to the federal EPCRA regulation.
For example, the regulated threshold storage amounts for diesel, propane and chlorine are 10,000 pounds, 10,000 pounds and 2,500 pounds, respectively. Other chemical thresholds are listed on the web site. Facilities that store chemical quantities equal to or larger than those amounts are required to prepare and submit chemical inventory reporting forms by March 1 of every calendar year.
For more information or questions about EPCRA requirements, please contact Tana Alert at alert.tana@epa.gov in the Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Office of EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.
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