SARA Title III (Tier II Reporting)

Tier II Reporting

Tier II reports are forms that organizations and businesses in the United States with hazardous chemicals above certain quantities are required to fill out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Known officially as Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms, Tier II Reports are submitted annually to local fire departments, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) and State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) to help those agencies plan for and respond to chemical emergencies.

Mandated by Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA) - also known as SARA Title III - the Tier II form captures information about the types, quantities and locations of hazardous chemicals at a given facility. The form also lists contact information for the facility's designated emergency point of contact.

EPCRA actually allows for the submission of either a Tier I or Tier II report. However, since the Tier II report includes all of the information found on the Tier I, plus additional information, most states require the comprehensive Tier II report. 

To determine if you have chemicals in quantities that require Tier II reporting, check the EPA's List of Lists. MSDSonline's HQ and HQ RegXR accounts make determining your reporting obligations and generating submittable Tier II reports easy.

Tier II Violations

Tier II reports are due March 1 for the previous calendar year. Penalties for violations of Section 312 of SARA Title III can reach up to $27,500 for each violation. Fines add up quickly since each day a violation continues to exist constitutes a separate violation.

It's important to note that businesses or facilities with Tier II reporting obligations will likely have additional obligations under SARA Title III. For instance, Section 311 of SARA Title III requires facilities with chemicals above certain thresholds to provide MSDSs for those chemicals to local and state emergency planning agencies. Facilities with obligations under Section 311 also have obligations under 312. In other words, if you have to provide MSDSs to emergency planning agencies because of Section 311, then you have to submit a Tier II report for Section 312.

Tier II State Requirements

While Tier II is a federal obligation mandated by the EPA, reporting is done on the state and local levels. To ensure full compliance, call Caldwell County Emergency Management 828-757-1419.

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