Method And Format For Submitting Risk Management Plans (RMPs) Under Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6237-2]

Method And Format For Submitting Risk Management Plans (RMPs)

Under Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This document provides information about the method and format

for submitting risk management plans (RMPs) under EPA's regulations for

preventing chemical accidents, 40 CFR part 68. RMPs must be submitted

by the owner or operator of any facility that has a process containing

more than a threshold quantity of a chemical listed at 40 CFR 68.130.

The deadline for submitting RMPs is June 21, 1999, for any facility

with a process containing more than a threshold quantity of a listed

chemical by that date. EPA is issuing two documents, the ``RMP*Submit

User's Manual'' and the ``RMP ASCII File Format,'' for use in

submitting RMPs.

ADDRESSES: The RMP*Submit User's Manual and the RMP ASCII File Format

are available on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/rmp-

dev.html. To obtain paper copies of these documents, please contact the

National Center for Environmental Publications

[[Page 9990]]

and Information (NCEPI) at 1-800-490-9198. The EPA publication number

for the RMP*Submit User's Manual is EPA 550-B99-001. The RMP paper form

is Appendix A of the User's Manual. The User's Manual will

automatically be sent out with all RMP*Submit requests from NCEPI. The

EPA Publication number for the RMP ASCII File Format is EPA 550-B99-

002.

Docket. These documents are also available in Docket A-98-08,

Category VI and are available for public inspection and copying between

8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except government

holidays), at Room M1500, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (6102),

401 M St., SW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information on the

RMP*Submit User's Manual, contact Karen Shanahan at (202) 260-2711. For

technical information on the RMP ASCII File Format, contact Lisa

Jenkins at (202) 260-7951. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-

to-Know Information Hotline (Hotline) is available to answer questions

about the Risk Management Program at 800-424-9346, or (703) 412-9877

from the local Washington, DC area.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA's rule requiring submission of RMPs (61

FR 31668, June 20, 1996) provides that the Agency will provide

information on the ``method and format'' for submission prior to June

21, 1999 (40 CFR 68.150(a)). The purpose of this notice is to provide

that information.

The RMP*Submit User's Manual describes the ``method'' for RMP

submissions to EPA. In brief, regulated sources should submit their RMP

electronically on diskette to the EPA Reporting Center if they are able

to do so. Those who are unable to submit on diskette may use the RMP

paper form (provided in Appendix A of the User's Manual). If the paper

form is used, an Electronic Waiver Form (Appendix B of the User's

Manual) should also be completed.

The RMP ASCII File Format provides the ``format'' in which RMPs

should be submitted to EPA. RMP*Submit TM (a free software

program for submission) and the RMP paper form (for use with the

electronic waiver form) are already in this format. If you are planning

to use RMP*Submit or the RMP paper form, you do not need the RMP ASCII

File Format. The purpose of the RMP ASCII File Format is to assist

commercial software vendors who are creating RMP software products, so

that their software will put RMPs into the proper format.

EPA recently promulgated a rule that made several changes to RMP

data elements (63 FR 964, Jan. 6, 1999). The documents described in

this notice include those changes to the RMP regulations. EPA's

information collection request for the recent rule and the RMP

submission documents was approved by the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) on February 22, 1999. The information collection

requirements covered by the request were assigned OMB control number

2050-0144. RMPs may now be submitted to EPA.

Dated: February 24, 1999.

David Speights,

Acting Director, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office,

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

[FR Doc. 99-4965 Filed 2-26-99; 8:45 am]

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