EPCRA section 304 / 40 CFR 355.40
For EPCRA section 304 / 40 CFR 355.40, governing statute is EPCRA; triggering event is release of a reportable quantity of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an extremely hazardous substance (EHS); notification deadline is immediately; notification recipient is State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC); required method is immediate notification, followed by written follow-up emergency notification as soon as practicable, recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.
- Regulation
- EPCRA section 304 / 40 CFR 355.40
- Governing statute
- EPCRA our reading
- Triggering event
- release of a reportable quantity of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an extremely hazardous substance (EHS)
- Notification deadline
- immediately
- Notification recipient
- State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
- Required method
- immediate notification, followed by written follow-up emergency notification as soon as practicable
- Follow-up requirement
- written follow-up emergency notice as soon as practicable after the release, updating the information in the immediate notification and including actions taken, health risks, and advice regarding medical attention
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
You must make two separate notifications to comply with the emergency
— law.cornell.edu, retrieved 2026-08-12
Sources disagree
More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from — deciding between them is yours, not ours.
Triggering event
law.cornell.edu says triggering event is release of a reportable quantity of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an extremely hazardous substance (EHS), as of 2026-08-12.
You must make two separate notifications to comply with the emergency
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/355.40
epa.gov says triggering event is release of a reportable quantity of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an extremely hazardous substance (EHS) within any 24-hour period, as of 2026-08-12.
if a release of an RQ of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an EHS occurs within any 24-hour period, the facility must notify the SERC and LEPC
https://www.epa.gov/epcra/epcra-release-notification-rq-any-24-hour-period
Notification deadline
law.cornell.edu says notification deadline is immediately, as of 2026-08-12.
You must make two separate notifications to comply with the emergency
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/355.40
epa.gov says notification deadline is immediately — the facility must notify the SERC and LEPC, as of 2026-08-12.
if a release of an RQ of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an EHS occurs within any 24-hour period, the facility must notify the SERC and LEPC
https://www.epa.gov/epcra/epcra-release-notification-rq-any-24-hour-period
Required method
law.cornell.edu says required method is immediate notification, followed by written follow-up emergency notification as soon as practicable, as of 2026-08-12.
You must make two separate notifications to comply with the emergency
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/355.40
epa.gov says required method is immediate notification to SERC and LEPC, as of 2026-08-12.
if a release of an RQ of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an EHS occurs within any 24-hour period, the facility must notify the SERC and LEPC
https://www.epa.gov/epcra/epcra-release-notification-rq-any-24-hour-period
Follow-up requirement
law.cornell.edu says follow-up requirement is written follow-up emergency notice as soon as practicable after the release, updating the information in the immediate notification and including actions taken, health risks, and advice regarding medical attention, as of 2026-08-12.
You must make two separate notifications to comply with the emergency
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/355.40
epa.gov says follow-up requirement is written follow-up emergency notice as soon as practicable after the release, as of 2026-08-12.
if a release of an RQ of a CERCLA hazardous substance or an EHS occurs within any 24-hour period, the facility must notify the SERC and LEPC
https://www.epa.gov/epcra/epcra-release-notification-rq-any-24-hour-period
Sources
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/355.40
- epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/epcra/epcra-release-notification-rq-any-24-hour-period