Hazardous Waste > Hazardous Chemicals in Your Community > EPCRA

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

Important Reminder!

The State Emergency Response Commission now requires reporting actual amounts of substances stored on site. Please be sure to use the correct form!

Tier Two Reporters: Please note there are no changes to reporting requirements this year.

New Department of Homeland Security regulations for chemical facilities DO NOT impact EPCRA or Community Right-to-Know activities.

• Washington State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)
• Local Emergency and Planning Committees
• Reporting Requirements - An index of information regarding planning and reporting under EPCRA Sections 302, 304, 311, 312, and 313
• Reporting Forms and Software - An index of EPCRA forms and software
• EPCRA Matrix - A reference sheet for all EPCRA Sections
• Do I have to Report for Tier Two? - A flow chart to determine required action
• Resources - Links to additional resources
• Publications - Reporting guidance and summary of data
• Guidance for Tribal Governments
• Ecology Spills Program
• EPCRA Feedback Form - Take a moment to let us know how we can better serve you

What is the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)?

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) was signed into federal law in 1986. Title III of SARA is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act or the Community Right-to-Know regulation. The State of Washington adopted the federal Title III law and regulations in 1987. A State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) was established to oversee implementation of requirements imposed by SARA Title III, including the formation of the local emergency planning committees and the development of a statewide master plan for hazardous materials incident response.

Ecology receives EPCRA reports and manages EPCRA data on behalf of the Washington SERC. Ecology staff also provide technical and regulatory assistance to businesses, local emergency planning committees, tribal nations, and the public.

The Community Right-to-Know provisions help increase the public's knowledge and access to information on chemicals at individual facilities, their uses, and releases into the environment. States and communities, working with facilities, can use the information to improve chemical safety and protect public health and the environment.

Under this regulation, both small and large businesses are required to plan for possible emergencies and report chemical information to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), the local fire department, and tribal nations.

This web site will provide you with the following information:

• An overview of the Washington State Emergency Response Commission
• Reporting requirements under this regulation
• Reporting forms and software for electronic reporting
• A current list of Local Emergency Planning Committees
• Publications and links to related web sites

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