Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Part V - Hazardous Wastes and Hazardous Materials
Subpart 2 - Department of Public Safety and Corrections-Hazardous Materials
Chapter 101 - Hazardous Material Information Development, Preparedness, and Response Act
Section V-10101 - Declaration of Authority, Background, Policy and Purpose

A. The following rules are hereby promulgated pursuant to the authority provided in R.S. 30:2361-2380 regarding the Hazardous Material Information Development, Preparedness, and Response Act.

B. This Act was originally passed as Act 435 of the 1985 Legislative Session to implement the state's first "Right-to-Know" Law. In 1986 the United States Congress passed the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Title III of SARA required, among other things, that the governor of each state appoint an Emergency Response Commission.

C. Compliance with Louisiana's Right-to-Know Law will attain compliance with SARA, Title III.

D. It should be noted that the Louisiana Emergency Response Commission, operating within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, is the primary entity to which SARA, Title III communications are made. Copies of annual inventory forms must also be submitted to the local emergency planning committee in the parish where a facility is located and to the local fire department having jurisdiction over the facility.

E. Since the chemical lists, release reportable quantities and threshold (inventory) quantities (TQ) in the federal regulation are subject to change, facility owners/operators should refer to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations in addition to the Louisiana regulations to determine current reporting requirements before submitting their annual inventory forms and emergency release notifications.

F. It is the purpose of these rules to implement the information system conceived of in the state's original Right-to-Know Law by providing the citizens of this state, as well as emergency response personnel, with data on hazardous material storage necessary to make educated and responsible decisions.