SARA Title III—A new era of corporate responsibility and accountability

Abstract

Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, requires significant accountability of industry for the use and release of toxic and hazardous chemicals. This act requires emergency planning for hazardous material emergencies at state and community levels, emergency notification for releases of hazardous chemicals, and the reporting to local communities and state and federal agencies of inventories and releases of toxic chemicals. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Act could result in the imposition of civil and criminal penalties. In addition, compliance with the reporting requirements has resulted in the dissemination of reported information into the public domain. The availability of this information and its subsequent use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the public has made industry strictly accountable for its use and release of toxic and hazardous chemicals. This special issue focuses on two separate but related aspects of SARA Title III: emergency planning and notification, and annual toxic chemical release reporting.