Background

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) is a stand-alone law passed in 1986 as part of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA) and is found as SARA Title III.  Congress intended it to improve state and local planning and response capabilities to react to hazardous materials emergencies and to provide access to information about hazardous materials to the public.

EPCRA requires each state have a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). The Nevada SERC is established by Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 459.738. The SERC is to designate planning districts within the state and appoint Local Emergency Response Committees (LEPCs) to coordinate the activities of each planning district. The SERC has designated each county as a planning district and each county has designed the LEPC with the approval of the SERC.

EPCRA specifies what kinds of chemical releases and quantities require notification, to who reports and notification are required, and establishes threshold planning quantities. The provisions of EPCRA require industry to comply with reports of storage, manufacture and releases to specific agencies. Along with these reporting requirements, fees required by Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 459.9918, 459.99181, 459.99182 and NRS 459.744 are collected and  granted to state and local agencies to provide assistance in planning, training and equipment activities to prevent, respond to and mitigate hazardous materials incidents.