Tier II

The federal equivalent to the Business Plan program is Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).  Under Section 312, owners and operators are required to prepare and have available Safety Data Sheets (SDS) under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard and must submit an inventory of their hazardous chemicals to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC), and the local fire department annually by March 1st. This requirement is achieved through compliance with the Business Plan program. For facilities outside California, PSM RMP Solutions will assist with data collection and submittal of the Tier II reports.

HMBP

Business Plan program

The Business Plan program was established in 1986. Its purpose is to prevent or minimize the damage to public health and safety and the environment, from a release or threatened release of hazardous materials. It also satisfies community right-to-know laws. This is accomplished by requiring businesses that handle hazardous materials above specific quantities or extremely hazardous substances above the threshold planning quantity (40 CFR, Part 355, Appendix A) to:

  • Inventory their hazardous materials

  • Develop site maps that show chemical storage locations and emergency equipment

  • Develop an emergency plan

  • Implement a training program for employees

Businesses must submit this information electronically to the statewide information management system (California Environmental Reporting System, or CERS). PSM RMP Solutions assists with the completion of the above mentioned criteria and entering the information into CERS. Once the submittal has been made, the CUPA will verify the information and provide it to agencies responsible for the protection of public health and safety and the environment. Based on the comments made by the CUPA, PSM RMP Solutions will update the HMBP via CERS until the plan is accepted.