2009 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers: Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know [State]¹

Fritz Roka, Michael Olexa, Katherine Smallwood, Leo Polopolus, and Carol Fountain²

Purpose

To facilitate awareness and emergency planning regarding the potential chemical hazards in local communities.

Program

This law seeks to encourage emergency planning efforts at the state and local levels and to increase the public's access to information about the potential chemical hazards that may exist in their communities.

Any facility that produces, uses, or stores extremely hazardous substances (EHS) in excess of the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) must comply with some or all requirements of this law. In addition, all businesses that have a spill or an unauthorized release of an EHS in excess of the Reportable Quantity (RQ) must immediately report such spills or releases.

Who Must Comply

If you have restricted use and/or danger labeled pesticides or chemicals on your property in sufficient quantities, you may need to comply with this law.

Responsible Agency

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress as the national legislation on community safety. This law is designed to help local communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards. The EPCRA is administred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is implemented by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. A comprehensive resource packet, the necessary forms, and information about electronic filing can be found online at http://floridadisaster.org/hazmat/SERC/EPCRA.htm.

State Emergency Response Commission

2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard

Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100

(850) 413-9970

1(800) 635-7179 [Florida only]

http://hazmat.floridadisaster.org/ [May 11, 2012].

Footnotes

This is EDIS document FE395, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Published July 2003, revised December 2009. This information is included in Circular 1200, Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers. First published February 1992 as Circular 1043. Revised December 2002 as Circular 1200. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Fritz Roka, associate professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL; Michael Olexa, professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Katherine Smallwood, student, Levin College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Leo Polopolus, professor emeritus, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; and Carol Fountain, editor, Food and Resource Economics Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

This document is designed to provide accurate, current, and authoritative information on the subject. However, since the laws, administrative rulings, and court decisions on which it is based are subject to constant revision, portions of this publication could become outdated at any time. This publication is distributed with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice, and the information contained herein should not be regarded as a substitute for professional advice. For these reasons, the utilization of these materials by any person constitutes an agreement to hold harmless the authors, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and the University of Florida for any liability claims, damages, or expenses that may be incurred by any person as a result of reference to or reliance on the information contained in this publication.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.