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IN THE EVENT OF A REPORTABLE
RELEASE:
1. CONTACT THE LOCAL FIRE CHIEF IMMEDIATELY WHERE
THE SPILL OCCURRED, IF WITHIN CITY LIMITS. CONTACT THE FIRE MARSHALL AFTER,
TO COMPLY WITH STATE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
2. CONTACT THE COLLIN COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL IMMEDIATELY
IF THE RELEASE OCCURRED IN UNINCORPORATED COLLIN COUNTY.
Collin
County Fire Marshal
Federal and State laws require business and industry
operators to perform annual chemical inventories (Tier II Chemical Report)
and submit their Tier II Report to the Texas Department of State Health
Services (TDSHS), local Fire Chief and the LEPC no later than March 1st
of each year.
For more information on Tier II Reporting, Texas Community
Right-to-Know and Hazard Communication Acts go to:
Tier
II Chemical Reporting Program
Texas Department
of State Health Services
The Tier II Chemical Report is a standardized form created
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rate and identify chemicals
and hazardous materials. For the latest information on Tier II Reporting
and e-filing, go to:
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(click on "search" and enter "Tier II")
Whether or not a company must file this annual report
is determined by the type of chemical or material and how much is on-site.
It is incumbent on business and industry operators
to know what item(s) must be reported; ignorance of the law will be no
excuse in the event of an incident.
Having this information readily available to the Fire
Departments serves two important purposes:
- Enhances response time to an incident with the right equipment
and personnel.
- Immediate knowledge if the public is at risk and advisories are
warranted.
In the event of a chemical release (i.e., spill,
leak, emission, gas cloud), a business or industry must report the incident
immediately. Texas Health & Safety Codes state a specific timeline
for reporting; failure to do so is a violation of both Federal and
State law whether or not First Responders were dispatched to the scene.
Remember: The responding agencies are entitled
to recover the costs of securing, containing, and managing the incident.
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