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EPA AND DOJ ISSUE RULES ON CHEMICAL-ACCIDENT INFORMATION
Release Date: 08/03/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2000
EPA AND DOJ ISSUE RULES ON CHEMICAL-ACCIDENT INFORMATION
EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice have issued regulations governing public access to and distribution of information about potential chemical accidents from industrial facilities. This information is required to be collected from industries under the Clean Air Act amendments passed by Congress in 1990. The 1999 Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act further required the federal government to assess two considerations: the benefits of disseminating this information to the public to help reduce chemical accidents and concerns about terrorist and criminal activity that might result from posting this information on the Internet. Based on these assessments, conducted by EPA and DOJ respectively, in consultation with national security agencies, the final rule will allow public access to localized information from organizations like local emergency planning committees. The rule allows the public to receive some information from the Internet, such as, for example, if one lives in a neighborhood that could be affected by a chemical release. No specific information on chemical locations, however, will be posted on the Internet so as to ensure no increased risk from terrorist or criminal activity. For more information, visit EPA’s Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office Internet site at: https://www.epa.gov/ceppo
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