U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives are on the island to assist the local Guam EPA in enhancing enforcement and implementation of the local Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA) program and also to conduct Risk Management Plan (RMP) inspections.
During yesterday’s GEPA board meeting, William M. Robberson, P.E. of the USEPA regional response team, described the initiatives both agencies are collaborating on to enhance EPCRA implementation.
While here, Robberson said the team will help the local environmental agency facilities that have chemicals hazardous to public health and the environment.
“We’ve come out here to look at their universe of potential EPCRA facilities and do inspections as well as Risk Management Plan inspections – looking at those areas that contain some very dangerous gasses and other chemicals that could hurt people,” Robberson said.
He added inspections have already been done by the response team this week.
The federal team will also train GEPA to conduct inspections and assist in putting up a program that will reach out to all companies on Guam to help bring them into compliance with EPCRA rules.
Having an educational component in place will help improve compliance with the provisions of the law, Robberson explained.
“How to put forward a program so that people willingly comply rather than resist compliance ... that’s a policy decision that the administrators here have to make. We will help them build that mechanism so they’ll know what hazards are out there,” he said.
EPCRA, according to a USEPA factsheet, establishes requirements for federal, state and local governments, Indian tribes, and industry regarding emergency planning and “Community Right-to-Know” reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals.
It covers four major provisions including emergency planning, emergency release notifications, hazardous chemical storage reporting requirements, and toxic chemical release inventory.
EPCRA penalties, as described in the factsheet, “allow civil and administrative penalties ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 per violation or per day when facilities fail to comply with reporting requirements.
USEPA regional response team visits
- Friday, 19 Oct 2012 03:00am
- BY LOUELLA LOSINIO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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