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Home›Courses›Safety Training›Emergency Planning Community Right To Know Act - EPCRA Interactive Training

Emergency Planning Community Right To Know Act - EPCRA Interactive Training

20 minutesENSafety Training42 U.S.C. 11001-11050 (EPCRA / SARA Title III); 40 CFR Parts 355, 370, 372
Quick Answer

Emergency Planning Community Right To Know Act - EPCRA is a 20-minute online course that teaches employees about the requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), also known as SARA Title III. It covers emergency release notification, hazardous chemical inventory reporting, Toxic Release Inventory obligations, and the roles of state and local emergency planning committees, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted in 1986 following the catastrophic chemical release in Bhopal, India that killed thousands. EPCRA requires facilities that store, use, or release hazardous chemicals to report this information to federal, state, and local authorities so communities can prepare for chemical emergencies. Violations of EPCRA reporting requirements carry significant civil penalties - up to $69,733 per violation per day under Section 325 - and criminal penalties for knowing and willful violations. Despite these requirements, many employers remain unaware of their EPCRA obligations, particularly smaller facilities that may not realize they store covered chemicals above threshold quantities.

This course trains your employees on the four major provisions of EPCRA: emergency planning (Sections 301-303), emergency release notification (Section 304), hazardous chemical inventory reporting (Sections 311-312), and the Toxic Release Inventory program (Section 313). Your team will learn which chemicals trigger reporting requirements, the threshold quantities that apply, the agencies that must be notified, and the deadlines that must be met. The training provides a clear framework for understanding your facility's obligations and maintaining compliance with one of the most complex environmental reporting programs in federal law.

What You'll Learn

  • Overview and history of EPCRA (SARA Title III) and its four major provisions
  • Emergency planning requirements under Sections 301-303 and threshold planning quantities
  • Emergency release notification obligations under Section 304
  • Hazardous chemical inventory reporting (Tier II) under Sections 311-312
  • Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting under Section 313
  • Roles of State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) and Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)
  • Penalties for non-compliance with EPCRA reporting requirements

Who Needs This Training

  • Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) managers responsible for regulatory reporting
  • Facility managers at manufacturing plants, refineries, and chemical processing sites
  • Warehouse managers who store hazardous materials above threshold quantities
  • Emergency response coordinators who interface with local emergency planning committees
  • Maintenance supervisors at facilities with extremely hazardous substances on site
  • Corporate compliance officers overseeing multi-facility environmental obligations

Regulatory Background

EPCRA was enacted as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) in 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11001-11050). The law established a national framework requiring facilities to report hazardous chemical storage, use, and releases to federal, state, and local agencies. Section 302 requires facilities with extremely hazardous substances (currently 355 listed chemicals) above their threshold planning quantities to notify the State Emergency Response Commission. Section 304 mandates immediate notification of any release exceeding the reportable quantity. Sections 311-312 require annual Tier II inventory reports for any facility that maintains hazardous chemicals above 10,000 pounds or any extremely hazardous substance above its threshold. Section 313 established the Toxic Release Inventory, requiring annual reporting on releases and waste management of listed toxic chemicals. The EPA enforces EPCRA with civil penalties up to $69,733 per violation per day, and criminal penalties apply to knowing and willful violations. EPCRA intersects with OSHA's Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), as any chemical requiring a Safety Data Sheet under OSHA is considered a hazardous chemical under EPCRA Sections 311-312.

Frequently Asked Questions

EPCRA applies to any facility that stores or uses extremely hazardous substances at or above their threshold planning quantities (Sections 301-303), has hazardous chemicals at or above 10,000 pounds or any EHS above its TPQ (Sections 311-312), or manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses listed toxic chemicals above threshold amounts (Section 313). Many common chemicals - including fuel oil, sulfuric acid in batteries, and chlorine - trigger reporting requirements that smaller facilities often overlook.
Tier II reports (Sections 311-312) cover hazardous chemical inventory - what chemicals are stored on site, in what quantities, and where. They are submitted to the SERC, LEPC, and local fire department annually by March 1. TRI reports (Section 313) cover toxic chemical releases and waste management - how much of listed chemicals were released to air, water, or land, and how waste was managed. TRI reports are submitted to EPA and the state by July 1.
Failure to provide immediate notification of a release exceeding the reportable quantity can result in civil penalties up to $69,733 per violation per day. In cases of knowing and willful failure to report, criminal penalties apply - including fines of up to $50,000 and imprisonment of up to two years for a first offense. The facility must notify the SERC and LEPC immediately by telephone and provide a written follow-up within 30 days.
EPCRA and OSHA's Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) are closely linked. Any chemical for which OSHA requires a Safety Data Sheet is considered a hazardous chemical under EPCRA Sections 311 and 312. Facilities that maintain SDSs under OSHA requirements must evaluate whether their chemical quantities trigger EPCRA reporting thresholds. The SDS information required by OSHA provides the foundation for EPCRA chemical inventory reporting.
EPCRA's emergency planning and inventory reporting provisions (Sections 301-303 and 311-312) apply to any facility that stores covered chemicals above threshold quantities, regardless of industry. The TRI reporting program (Section 313) applies to facilities in specific industrial sectors - primarily manufacturing, metal mining, electric power generation, and certain chemical and petroleum industries - with 10 or more full-time employees. Federal facilities are also subject to Section 313 regardless of their sector.

Related Courses

Facilities subject to EPCRA often pair this course with Hazard Communication: GHS Safety Data Sheets to ensure employees understand the SDS system that underpins EPCRA's chemical inventory reporting, and HAZWOPER Awareness: The Basics for staff who may be involved in emergency response to chemical releases.

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$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$24.95
per person