Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) is a federal law that was enacted by Congress in 1986 with the primary goal of promoting emergency planning, public right-to-know requirements, hazardous chemical reporting, and emergency release notification. It establishes procedures for states to develop and implement emergency planning for chemicals that have the potential to pose a substantial risk to public health and the environment. It also requires businesses that handle certain hazardous chemicals to provide emergency planning information to the state and local officials responsible for responding to the release of those chemicals. Finally, it requires businesses to report to the public on releases of these hazardous chemicals into the environment.