Alerting Localities of Environmental Risks and Threats Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.861 | Sponsor: Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa (D-DE)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Alerting Localities of Environmental Risks and Threats Act of 2021
This bill requires the owner or operator of a facility where hazardous chemicals are produced, used, or stored to hold a public meeting within 72 hours of the release of an extremely hazardous substance. The owner or operator must publish a notice in a local newspaper, giving at least 24 hours of notice before the public meeting. Such notice must be posted at a local library, other local government buildings, and on the facility's public website.
The bill also requires the owner or operator of a facility to hold an annual public meeting, where specified information regarding the extremely hazardous substances at the facility must be disclosed. Notice for such meeting must be published in a local newspaper at least a week in advance of the meeting. The bill provides for a civil penalty if such public meeting and notice requirements are not met.

To amend the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 
   to require an emergency notification meeting in the event of the 
 release of an extremely hazardous substance from a facility, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Alerting Localities of Environmental 
Risks and Threats Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC MEETINGS ADDED.

    (a) Emergency Notification Meeting.--Section 304(b) of the 
Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 
11004(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Public meeting.--Not later than 72 hours after a 
        release which requires notice under subsection (a), the owner 
        or operator of the applicable facility shall--
                    ``(A) publish a notice in a local newspaper, and 
                post such notice at a local library and other local 
                government buildings and on the public website for the 
                facility, if any, with at least 24 hours notice, of a 
                public meeting, including--
                            ``(i) the date of such meeting;
                            ``(ii) the time of such meeting; and
                            ``(iii) the location of such meeting; and
                    ``(B) hold such meeting, providing, consistent with 
                section 322, the information required under paragraph 
                (2), to the extent such information is known at the 
                time of the meeting and so long as no delay in 
                responding to the emergency results.''.
    (b) Annual Public Meeting.--Subtitle A of the Emergency Planning 
and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11001 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 306. ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING.

    ``Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
section, and annually thereafter, the owner or operator of a facility 
subject to the requirements of this subtitle shall--
            ``(1) publish a notice in a local newspaper, at least 7 
        days in advance, of a public meeting, including--
                    ``(A) the date of such meeting;
                    ``(B) the time of such meeting; and
                    ``(C) the location of such meeting; and
            ``(2) hold such meeting, providing, consistent with section 
        322--
                    ``(A) the chemical name of each substance on the 
                list published under section 302(a) that was present at 
                such facility, in an amount in excess of the threshold 
                planning quantity established for such substance under 
                such section, at any time in the preceding calendar 
                year;
                    ``(B) an estimate of the maximum amount of each 
                such substance present at such facility during the 
                preceding calendar year; and
                    ``(C) the details of the methods and procedures to 
                be followed to respond to a release of such a substance 
                pursuant to the applicable emergency plan prepared 
                under section 303(c).''.
    (c) Enforcement.--Section 325(c)(1) of the Emergency Planning and 
Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11045(c)(1)) is amended 
by striking ``section 312'' and inserting ``section 306, 312,''.
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 300(b) of 
the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 is 
amended by adding after the item relating to section 305 the following:

``Sec. 306. Annual public meeting.''.
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