[106th Congress Public Law 40]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


<DOC>
[DOCID: f:publ040.106]


[[Page 113 STAT. 207]]

Public Law 106-40
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To <<NOTE: Aug. 5, 1999 -  [S. 880]>> amend the Clean Air Act to remove 
   flammable fuels from the list of substances with respect to which 
 reporting and other activities are required under the risk management 
                  plan program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Chemical Safety 
Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act. 42 USC 7401 
note.>> 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chemical Safety Information, Site 
Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF PROPANE SOLD BY RETAILERS AND OTHER FLAMMABLE 
                    FUELS FROM RISK MANAGEMENT LIST.

    Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7412(r)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) of 
        paragraph (4) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and 
        indenting appropriately;
            (2) by striking in paragraph (4) ``Administrator shall 
        consider each of the following criteria--'' and inserting the 
        following: ``Administrator--
                    ``(A) shall consider--'';
            (3) in subparagraph (A)(iii) (as designated by paragraphs 
        (1) and (2)), of paragraph (4) by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and'';
            (4) by adding at the end of paragraph (4) the following:
                    ``(B) shall not list a flammable substance when used 
                as a fuel or held for sale as a fuel at a retail 
                facility under this subsection solely because of the 
                explosive or flammable properties of the substance, 
                unless a fire or explosion caused by the substance will 
                result in acute adverse health effects from human 
                exposure to the substance, including the unburned fuel 
                or its combustion byproducts, other than those caused by 
                the heat of the fire or impact of the explosion.''; and
            (5) by inserting the following new subparagraph at the end 
        of paragraph (2):
                    ``(D) The term `retail facility' means a stationary 
                source at which more than one-half of the income is 
                obtained from direct sales to end users or at which more 
                than one-half of the fuel sold, by volume, is sold 
                through a cylinder exchange program.''.

[[Page 113 STAT. 208]]

SEC. 3. PUBLIC ACCESS TO OFF-SITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS 
                    INFORMATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7412(r)(7)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) Public access to off-site consequence analysis 
                information.--
                          ``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Covered person.--The term 
                                `covered person' means--
                                            ``(aa) an officer or 
                                        employee of the United States;
                                            ``(bb) an officer or 
                                        employee of an agent or 
                                        contractor of the Federal 
                                        Government;
                                            ``(cc) an officer or 
                                        employee of a State or local 
                                        government;
                                            ``(dd) an officer or 
                                        employee of an agent or 
                                        contractor of a State or local 
                                        government;
                                            ``(ee) an individual 
                                        affiliated with an entity that 
                                        has been given, by a State or 
                                        local government, responsibility 
                                        for preventing, planning for, or 
                                        responding to accidental 
                                        releases;
                                            ``(ff) an officer or 
                                        employee or an agent or 
                                        contractor of an entity 
                                        described in item (ee); and
                                            ``(gg) a qualified 
                                        researcher under clause (vii).
                                    ``(II) Official use.--The term 
                                `official use' means an action of a 
                                Federal, State, or local government 
                                agency or an entity referred to in 
                                subclause (I)(ee) intended to carry out 
                                a function relevant to preventing, 
                                planning for, or responding to 
                                accidental releases.
                                    ``(III) Off-site consequence 
                                analysis information.--The term `off-
                                site consequence analysis information' 
                                means those portions of a risk 
                                management plan, excluding the executive 
                                summary of the plan, consisting of an 
                                evaluation of 1 or more worst-case 
                                release scenarios or alternative release 
                                scenarios, and any electronic data base 
                                created by the Administrator from those 
                                portions.
                                    ``(IV) Risk management plan.--The 
                                term `risk management plan' means a risk 
                                management plan submitted to the 
                                Administrator by an owner or operator of 
                                a stationary source under subparagraph 
                                (B)(iii).
                          `` <<NOTE: Deadline. President.>> (ii) 
                      Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
                      of enactment of this subparagraph, the President 
                      shall--
                                    ``(I) assess--
                                            ``(aa) the increased risk of 
                                        terrorist and other criminal 
                                        activity associated with the 
                                        posting of off-site consequence 
                                        analysis information on the 
                                        Internet; and
                                            ``(bb) the incentives 
                                        created by public disclosure of 
                                        off-site consequence analysis

[[Page 113 STAT. 209]]

                                        information for reduction in the 
                                        risk of accidental releases; and
                                    ``(II) based on the assessment under 
                                subclause (I), promulgate regulations 
                                governing the distribution of off-site 
                                consequence analysis information in a 
                                manner that, in the opinion of the 
                                President, minimizes the likelihood of 
                                accidental releases and the risk 
                                described in subclause (I)(aa) and the 
                                likelihood of harm to public health and 
                                welfare, and--
                                            ``(aa) allows access by any 
                                        member of the public to paper 
                                        copies of off-site consequence 
                                        analysis information for a 
                                        limited number of stationary 
                                        sources located anywhere in the 
                                        United States, without any 
                                        geographical restriction;
                                            ``(bb) allows other public 
                                        access to off-site consequence 
                                        analysis information as 
                                        appropriate;
                                            ``(cc) allows access for 
                                        official use by a covered person 
                                        described in any of items (cc) 
                                        through (ff) of clause (i)(I) 
                                        (referred to in this subclause 
                                        as a `State or local covered 
                                        person') to off-site consequence 
                                        analysis information relating to 
                                        stationary sources located in 
                                        the person's State;
                                            ``(dd) allows a State or 
                                        local covered person to provide, 
                                        for official use, off-site 
                                        consequence analysis information 
                                        relating to stationary sources 
                                        located in the person's State to 
                                        a State or local covered person 
                                        in a contiguous State; and
                                            ``(ee) allows a State or 
                                        local covered person to obtain 
                                        for official use, by request to 
                                        the Administrator, off-site 
                                        consequence analysis information 
                                        that is not available to the 
                                        person under item (cc).
                          ``(iii) Availability under freedom of 
                      information act.--
                                    ``(I) First year.--Off-site 
                                consequence analysis information, and 
                                any ranking of stationary sources 
                                derived from the information, shall not 
                                be made available under section 552 of 
                                title 5, United States Code, during the 
                                1-year period beginning on the date of 
                                enactment of this subparagraph.
                                    ``(II) After first year.--If the 
                                regulations under clause (ii) are 
                                promulgated on or before the end of the 
                                period described in subclause (I), off-
                                site consequence analysis information 
                                covered by the regulations, and any 
                                ranking of stationary sources derived 
                                from the information, shall not be made 
                                available under section 552 of title 5, 
                                United States Code, after the end of 
                                that period.
                                    ``(III) Applicability.--Subclauses 
                                (I) and (II) apply to off-site 
                                consequence analysis information 
                                submitted to the Administrator before, 
                                on, or after the date of enactment of 
                                this subparagraph.

[[Page 113 STAT. 210]]

                          ``(iv) Availability of information during 
                      transition period.--The Administrator shall make 
                      off-site consequence analysis information 
                      available to covered persons for official use in a 
                      manner that meets the requirements of items (cc) 
                      through (ee) of clause (ii)(II), and to the public 
                      in a form that does not make available any 
                      information concerning the identity or location of 
                      stationary sources, during the period--
                                    ``(I) beginning on the date of 
                                enactment of this subparagraph; and
                                    ``(II) ending on the earlier of the 
                                date of promulgation of the regulations 
                                under clause (ii) or the date that is 1 
                                year after the date of enactment of this 
                                subparagraph.
                          ``(v) Prohibition on unauthorized disclosure 
                      of information by covered persons.--
                                    `` <<NOTE: Effective date.>> (I) In 
                                general.--Beginning on the date of 
                                enactment of this subparagraph, a 
                                covered person shall not disclose to the 
                                public off-site consequence analysis 
                                information in any form, or any 
                                statewide or national ranking of 
                                identified stationary sources derived 
                                from such information, except as 
                                authorized by this subparagraph 
                                (including the regulations promulgated 
                                under clause (ii)). After the end of the 
                                1-year period beginning on the date of 
                                enactment of this subparagraph, if 
                                regulations have not been promulgated 
                                under clause (ii), the preceding 
                                sentence shall not apply.
                                    ``(II) Criminal penalties.--
                                Notwithstanding section 113, a covered 
                                person that willfully violates a 
                                restriction or prohibition established 
                                by this subparagraph (including the 
                                regulations promulgated under clause 
                                (ii)) shall, upon conviction, be fined 
                                for an infraction under section 3571 of 
                                title 18, United States Code, (but shall 
                                not be subject to imprisonment) for each 
                                unauthorized disclosure of off-site 
                                consequence analysis information, except 
                                that subsection (d) of such section 3571 
                                shall not apply to a case in which the 
                                offense results in pecuniary loss unless 
                                the defendant knew that such loss would 
                                occur. The disclosure of off-site 
                                consequence analysis information for 
                                each specific stationary source shall be 
                                considered a separate offense. The total 
                                of all penalties that may be imposed on 
                                a single person or organization under 
                                this item shall not exceed $1,000,000 
                                for violations committed during any 1 
                                calendar year.
                                    ``(III) Applicability.--If the owner 
                                or operator of a stationary source makes 
                                off-site consequence analysis 
                                information relating to that stationary 
                                source available to the public without 
                                restriction--
                                            ``(aa) subclauses (I) and 
                                        (II) shall not apply with 
                                        respect to the information; and
                                            
                                        `` <<NOTE: Notification.>> (bb) 
                                        the owner or operator shall 
                                        notify the Administrator of the 
                                        public availability of the 
                                        information.

[[Page 113 STAT. 211]]

                                    ``(IV) List.--The Administrator 
                                shall maintain and make publicly 
                                available a list of all stationary 
                                sources that have provided notification 
                                under subclause (III)(bb).
                          ``(vi) Notice.--The Administrator shall 
                      provide notice of the definition of official use 
                      as provided in clause (i)(III) and examples of 
                      actions that would and would not meet that 
                      definition, and notice of the restrictions on 
                      further dissemination and the penalties 
                      established by this Act to each covered person who 
                      receives off-site consequence analysis information 
                      under clause (iv) and each covered person who 
                      receives off-site consequence analysis information 
                      for an official use under the regulations 
                      promulgated under clause (ii).
                          ``(vii) Qualified researchers.--
                                    `` <<NOTE: Deadline.>> (I) In 
                                general.--Not later than 180 days after 
                                the date of enactment of this 
                                subparagraph, the Administrator, in 
                                consultation with the Attorney General, 
                                shall develop and implement a system for 
                                providing off-site consequence analysis 
                                information, including facility 
                                identification, to any qualified 
                                researcher, including a qualified 
                                researcher from industry or any public 
                                interest group.
                                    ``(II) Limitation on 
                                dissemination.--The system shall not 
                                allow the researcher to disseminate, or 
                                make available on the Internet, the off-
                                site consequence analysis information, 
                                or any portion of the off-site 
                                consequence analysis information, 
                                received under this clause.
                          ``(viii) Read-only information technology 
                      system.--In consultation with the Attorney General 
                      and the heads of other appropriate Federal 
                      agencies, the Administrator shall establish an 
                      information technology system that provides for 
                      the availability to the public of off-site 
                      consequence analysis information by means of a 
                      central data base under the control of the Federal 
                      Government that contains information that users 
                      may read, but that provides no means by which an 
                      electronic or mechanical copy of the information 
                      may be made.
                          ``(ix) Voluntary industry accident prevention 
                      standards.--The Environmental Protection Agency, 
                      the Department of Justice, and other appropriate 
                      agencies may provide technical assistance to 
                      owners and operators of stationary sources and 
                      participate in the development of voluntary 
                      industry standards that will help achieve the 
                      objectives set forth in paragraph (1).
                          ``(x) Effect on state or local law.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Subject to 
                                subclause (II), this subparagraph 
                                (including the regulations promulgated 
                                under this subparagraph) shall supersede 
                                any provision of State or local law that 
                                is inconsistent with this subparagraph 
                                (including the regulations).

[[Page 113 STAT. 212]]

                                    ``(II) Availability of information 
                                under state law.--Nothing in this 
                                subparagraph precludes a State from 
                                making available data on the off-site 
                                consequences of chemical releases 
                                collected in accordance with State law.
                          ``(xi) Report.--
                                    `` <<NOTE: Deadline.>> (I) In 
                                general.--Not later than 3 years after 
                                the date of enactment of this 
                                subparagraph, the Attorney General, in 
                                consultation with appropriate State, 
                                local, and Federal Government agencies, 
                                affected industry, and the public, shall 
                                submit to Congress a report that 
                                describes the extent to which 
                                regulations promulgated under this 
                                paragraph have resulted in actions, 
                                including the design and maintenance of 
                                safe facilities, that are effective in 
                                detecting, preventing, and minimizing 
                                the consequences of releases of 
                                regulated substances that may be caused 
                                by criminal activity. As part of this 
                                report, the Attorney General, using 
                                available data to the extent possible, 
                                and a sampling of covered stationary 
                                sources selected at the discretion of 
                                the Attorney General, and in 
                                consultation with appropriate State, 
                                local, and Federal governmental 
                                agencies, affected industry, and the 
                                public, shall review the vulnerability 
                                of covered stationary sources to 
                                criminal and terrorist activity, current 
                                industry practices regarding site 
                                security, and security of transportation 
                                of regulated substances. The Attorney 
                                General shall submit this report, 
                                containing the results of the review, 
                                together with recommendations, if any, 
                                for reducing vulnerability of covered 
                                stationary sources to criminal and 
                                terrorist activity, to the Committee on 
                                Commerce of the United States House of 
                                Representatives and the Committee on 
                                Environment and Public Works of the 
                                United States Senate and other relevant 
                                committees of Congress.
                                    `` <<NOTE: Deadline.>> (II) Interim 
                                report.--Not later than 12 months after 
                                the date of enactment of this 
                                subparagraph, the Attorney General shall 
                                submit to the Committee on Commerce of 
                                the United States House of 
                                Representatives and the Committee on 
                                Environment and Public Works of the 
                                United States Senate, and other relevant 
                                committees of Congress, an interim 
                                report that includes, at a minimum--
                                            ``(aa) the preliminary 
                                        findings under subclause (I);
                                            ``(bb) the methods used to 
                                        develop the findings; and
                                            ``(cc) an explanation of the 
                                        activities expected to occur 
                                        that could cause the findings of 
                                        the report under subclause (I) 
                                        to be different than the 
                                        preliminary findings.

[[Page 113 STAT. 213]]

                                    ``(III) Availability of 
                                information.--Information that is 
                                developed by the Attorney General or 
                                requested by the Attorney General and 
                                received from a covered stationary 
                                source for the purpose of conducting the 
                                review under subclauses (I) and (II) 
                                shall be exempt from disclosure under 
                                section 552 of title 5, United States 
                                Code, if such information would pose a 
                                threat to national security.
                          ``(xii) Scope.--This subparagraph--
                                    ``(I) applies only to covered 
                                persons; and
                                    ``(II) does not restrict the 
                                dissemination of off-site consequence 
                                analysis information by any covered 
                                person in any manner or form except in 
                                the form of a risk management plan or an 
                                electronic data base created by the 
                                Administrator from off-site consequence 
                                analysis information.
                          ``(xiii) Authorization of appropriations.--
                      There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
                      Administrator and the Attorney General such sums 
                      as are necessary to carry out this subparagraph 
                      (including the regulations promulgated under 
                      clause (ii)), to remain available until 
                      expended.''.

     <<NOTE: 42 USC 7412 note.>> (b) Reports.--
            (1) Definition of accidental release.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``accidental release'' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 112(r)(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
        7412(r)(2)).
            (2) Report <<NOTE: Deadline.>> on status of certain 
        amendments.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
        of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
        submit to Congress a report on the status of the development of 
        amendments to the National Fire Protection Association Code for 
        Liquefied Petroleum Gas that will result in the provision of 
        information to local emergency response personnel concerning the 
        off-site effects of accidental releases of substances exempted 
        from listing under section 112(r)(4)(B) of the Clean Air Act (as 
        added by section 3).
            (3) Report <<NOTE: Deadline.>> on compliance with certain 
        information submission requirements.--Not later than 3 years 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
        of the United States shall submit to Congress a report that--
                    (A) describes the level of compliance with Federal 
                and State requirements relating to the submission to 
                local emergency response personnel of information 
                intended to help the local emergency response personnel 
                respond to chemical accidents or related environmental 
                or public health threats; and
                    (B) contains an analysis of the adequacy of the 
                information required to be submitted and the efficacy of 
                the methods for delivering the information to local 
                emergency response personnel.

    (c) Reevaluation <<NOTE: President. Deadline. 42 USC 7412 note.>> of 
Regulations.--The President shall reevaluate the regulations promulgated 
under this section within 6 years after the enactment of this Act. If 
the President determines not to modify such regulations, the President 
shall publish a notice in the Federal Register stating that such 
reevaluation has been

[[Page 113 STAT. 214]]

completed and that a determination has been made not to modify the 
regulations. Such notice shall include an explanation of the basis of 
such decision.

SEC. 4. <<NOTE: 42 USC 7412 note.>> PUBLIC MEETING DURING MORATORIUM 
            PERIOD.

    (a) In <<NOTE: Deadline.>> General.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, each owner or operator of a 
stationary source covered by section 112(r)(7)(B)(ii) of the Clean Air 
Act shall convene a public meeting, after reasonable public notice, in 
order to describe and discuss the local implications of the risk 
management plan submitted by the stationary source pursuant to section 
112(r)(7)(B)(iii) of the Clean Air Act, including a summary of the off-
site consequence analysis portion of the plan. Two or more stationary 
sources may conduct a joint meeting. In lieu of conducting such a 
meeting, small business stationary sources as defined in section 
507(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act may comply with this section by publicly 
posting a summary of the off-site consequence analysis information for 
their facility not later than 180 days after the enactment of this 
Act. <<NOTE: Certification.>> Not later than 10 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, each such owner or operator shall send a 
certification to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
stating that such meeting has been held, or that such summary has been 
posted, within 1 year prior to, or within 6 months after, the date of 
the enactment of this Act. This section shall not apply to sources that 
employ only Program 1 processes within the meaning of regulations 
promulgated under section 112(r)(7)(B)(i) of the Clean Air Act.

    (b) Enforcement.--The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency may bring an action in the appropriate United States district 
court against any person who fails or refuses to comply with the 
requirements of this section, and such court may issue such orders, and 
take such other actions, as may be necessary to require compliance with 
such requirements.

    Approved Aug. 5, 1999.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 880:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-70 (Comm. on Environment and Public Works).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999):
            June 23, considered and passed Senate.
            July 21, considered and passed House, amended.
            Aug. 2, Senate concurred in House amendments.

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