Alabama Community Right to Know: What you need to know

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), 42 USC 11001 to 11050, and regulations at 40 CFR 355

Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)

Alabama Emergency Response Commission (AERC)

Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA)

Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)

Local fire and police departments

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4

See national section for basic information and federal regulations.

• Rules. Alabama does not have its own community right-to-know legislation and follows the following federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) reporting requirements, with unique state-specific reporting procedures:

—Safety data sheet (SDS) or chemical list reporting (EPCRA Section 311). Alabama prefers the submission of a list rather than actual SDSs;

—Tier II hazardous chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Section 312); and

—Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting (EPCRA Section 313).

For more information on the aforementioned EPCRA reporting requirements, see the national section COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW.

In addition, Alabama is not a "state plan" state; that is, it does not have a federally approved occupational safety and health (OSH) regulatory program. Consequently, the federal OSH Act governs SDS requirements in the private sector workplace. See the national sections COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW and SDS for more information.

• Administration and enforcement. The Alabama Emergency Response Commission (AERC) functions as the state Emergency Response Commission but is cochaired by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Therefore, as a practical matter, the ADEM and ...