Section 304(a) of EPCRA and the regulations found at 40 C.F.R. Part 355, Subpart C, require the owner or operator of a facility at which a hazardous chemical is produced, used or stored, to immediately provide notice to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) as described in Section 304(b) of EPCRA, when there has been a release of an EPCRA extremely hazardous substance, or a CERCLA hazardous substance, in an amount equal to or greater than the reportable quantity (RQ) from a facility. Section 304(a) of EPCRA, does not apply to any release which results in exposure to persons solely within the site or sites on which a facility is located.
Ammonia is an “extremely hazardous substance” as that term is defined by Section 329(3) of EPCRA, with a RQ of 100 pounds, as specified in 40 C.F.R. ยง 355 Appendices A & B.