A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act to prevent releases of toxic and hazardous substances which are presently not adequately controlled, to establish a community right-to-know of the risks associated with hazardous substances to which they may be exposed, to protect the rights of individuals exposed to hazardous substances, and for other purposes.
Hazardous Materials Manufacturing Safety Act of 1985 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to include releases into the air from an underground storage tank. Reduces from 36 to 18 months after the enactment of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (November 8, 1984) the time within which new underground tank performance standards become effective. Reduces from 48 to 24 months after such date the effective date of certain regulations covering underground storage tanks containing regulated substances.
Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to include pesticides within chemical substances under such Act only when the manufacturing and processing is completed and the pesticide is distributed.
Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act by adding a new title II concerning the communities' right to know, emergency planning, and liability. Requires each covered manufacturer, distributor, user, and importer of a covered hazardous substance (potential releasors) to prepare and update a fact sheet for such substance for distribution to local police, fire, and health officials. Requires the fact sheet to include the name, physical properties of, and hazards posed by the substance, including potential routes of human exposure to such substance, symptoms of such exposure, and appropriate emergency and first aid procedures.
Requires status sheets on the same basis as fact sheets, with each status sheet to include the maximum inventory and method of storage of the substance, the quantity of its emission into the environment, and the quantity and method for disposal.
Requires the releasor of a covered hazardous substance in an emergency situation to provide an emergency bulletin to the State and local police and other local officials. Requires the bulletin to identify the name and amount of the substance released, potential hazards from the release, and the response actions taken. Requires fact and status sheets and emergency bulletins to be made available for public inspection with public notice of such availability at a local government location or possibly, in the case of emergency bulletins, at the location of a potential releasor as well. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to publish a uniform format for fact and status sheets.
Authorizes a State's Governor to identify local officials to receive and make available to the public covered hazardous substance release information, with the Administrator doing so in the absence of the Governor's identification.
Requires the potential releasors to maintain records of information required by this Act. Requires manufacturers or importers to transmit fact sheets to covered distributors or users upon shipping of a covered hazardous substance.
Exempts certain small businesses and research, medical, and household uses from coverage under this Act.
Provides protection for trade secrets while continuing to make necessary information available to the appropriate persons. Excludes listed or possible carcinogens from such protection. Sets forth application and substantiation procedures for trade secret claims. Permits government officials to compel disclosure of nonsubstantiated trade secrets through the Federal courts.
Authorizes the Administrator to grant exemptions from the basic notification requirements of this Act through specified procedures open to the public, based upon a cost-benefits analysis where there is no reasonable likelihood of harm.
Directs the Administrator, within 18 months of enactment of this Act, to develop uniform national mandatory labeling requirements for pipes, storage tanks, or containers not otherwise required to be labeled which could reasonably be presumed to release a covered hazardous substance. Requires the label to indicate the appropriate response to a release.
Directs the Administrator to designate covered major manufacturers for emergency response purposes within one year of enactment of this Act. Limits the designation to those whose substances would pose an imminent and substantial danger to health and the environment if released in significant quantities. Includes all persons covered under this Act in lieu of such designations. Includes Federal departments as potential covered major manufacturers.
Renders the manufacturer or processor strictly liable for damages caused by accidental or abnormal releases, excluding acts of God or war. Covers medical, burial, and economic losses as well as pain and suffering (to a limited extent). Includes specified analysis and scientific evidence and studies among the evidence which may be introduced to establish causation. Establishes a three-year statute of limitations from the date of enactment of this Act or the date of realization of injury for causes of action for injury from the release of a covered hazardous substance, whichever is later.
Provides that this Act does not preempt State or other law in the area of liability for damages.
Requires entitled individuals to receive compensation for injuries sustained from a hazardous substance release from workers' compensation rather than under this Act.
Sets forth categories of substances to be considered covered hazardous substances and procedures for adding additional substances. Directs the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to compile and update a digest of all such substances. Exempts certain substances for this Act's purposes, based upon the form, amount, and other regulation of such substance.
Establishes civil and criminal penalties, limiting criminal penalties to the knowing violation of emergency requirements. Authorizes citizens' suits to enforce this Act.
Permits States to adopt more stringent right-to-know standards in the workplace context and emergency response requirements. Permits State and local governments to impose fees upon potential releasors to cover administrative costs.
Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to permit States to adopt more stringent right-to-know standards for employees concerning hazardous substances to which they may be exposed in the course of their employment than are provided under such Act. Requires compliance with both the State and OSHA standards to the degree possible with the State standard preempting the OSHA standard in case of a conflict.
Authorizes appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for FY 1986 through 1991 for training of government personnel in hazard mitigation and disaster response with a special emphasis on emergencies associated with hazardous chemicals and for administering support programs to State and local governments to improve emergency preparedness and response, especially in hazardous chemical situations.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation and Tourism.
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