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  • What is a significant and substantial harm facility?

    Some substantial harm facilities may meet the criteria for a significant and substantial harm facility. After you have prepared and submitted your FRP, the RA may determine that your facility has the potential, not just for substantial harm, but for significant and substantial harm. If the RA makes that determination…

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  • Will an Ozone Generator protect me and my family from COVID-19?

    No, do not use ozone generators in occupied spaces. When used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website for best practices to protect…

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  • PE certification for an FRP if an SPCC impracticability determination is made

    If the owner or operator of a facility subject to the SPCC regulations determines that the installation of any of the specified secondary containment structures or equipment is not practicable and accordingly provides in the facility’s SPCC Plan an oil spill contingency plan following the provisions of 40 CFR Part…

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  • Will an air cleaner or air purifier help protect me and my family from COVID-19 in my home?

    When used properly, air purifiers can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a home or confined space. However, by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19. When used along with other best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operating…

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  • Can air cleaning devices that use bipolar ionization, including portable air cleaners and in-duct air cleaners used in HVAC systems, protect me from COVID-19?

    Bipolar ionization (also called needlepoint bipolar ionization) is a technology that can be used in HVAC systems or portable air cleaners to generate positively and negatively charged particles. Provided manufacturers have data to demonstrate efficacy, manufacturers of these types of devices may market this technology to help remove viruses, including…

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  • Where can professionals who manage school, office, and commercial buildings get information on ventilation and filtration to respond to COVID-19?

    Professionals who operate school, office, and commercial buildings should consult the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidance for information on ventilation and filtration to help reduce risks from the virus that causes COVID-19. In general, increasing ventilation and filtration is usually appropriate; however, due to the…

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  • Will running an evaporative cooler (sometimes known as a "swamp cooler") or whole-house fan help protect me and my family from COVID-19?

    Both evaporative coolers (or "swamp coolers") and whole-house fans can help protect people indoors from airborne transmission of COVID-19 because they increase ventilation with outside air to cool indoor spaces. Evaporative coolers are used in dry climates. They use water to provide cooling and increase relative humidity indoors. When operating…

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  • What is Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)? What is HVAC UVGI? Can either be used to disinfect the air and help protect myself from COVID?

    A professionally designed system of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) that is well installed and maintained can effectively kill the virus that causes COVID-19 and help protect people from the disease indoors. Typically, UVGI systems are installed near a room ceiling (upper-room UVGI) or inside the HVAC system of a building…

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  • How can I increase ventilation at home to help protect my family from COVID-19?

    Ensuring proper ventilation with outside air is a standard best practice for improving indoor air quality. However, by itself, increasing ventilation is not enough to protect people from COVID-19. When used along with other best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, increasing ventilation can be part…

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  • Can running the HVAC system in my home help protect me from COVID-19?

    By itself, running your HVAC system is not enough to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19. However, when used along with other best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operating the HVAC system can be part of a plan to protect yourself and your family…

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  • Under FRP, what is the definition of a qualified individual?

    The FRP regulations require facilities to prepare an emergency response action plan and identify a qualified individual that has full authority, including contracting authority, to implement removal actions (40 CFR §112.20(h)(i)). What is the definition of a qualified individual? The relevant statute, CWA 311(j)(5)(C)(ii) requires that the plan identify the…

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  • FRP Availability

    Are Facility Response Plans (FRPs) available to the public? FRPs are submitted to the appropriate EPA Region dependent on the location of the facility. Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC) and State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) may request a copy of the FRP from an owner or operator. FRPs are generally…

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  • SPCC Qualified Facilities Substantial Harm Criteria Certification

    Are SPCC qualified facilities required to complete and maintain a copy of the Certification of the Applicability of the Substantial Harm Criteria form located in Appendix C of 40 CFR Part 112? Yes, all SPCC regulated facilities, including qualified facilities, that do not meet the criteria of a substantial harm…

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  • FRP Site Plans with Varying Storage Contents

    The Facility Response Plan regulations require subject facilities to prepare and maintain a site plan diagram that includes, among other things, the contents of bulk oil storage tanks, drum oil storage areas, and surface impoundments ( 40 CFR Part 112 Appendix F ). When the contents of these storage units…

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  • The FTP download is not working; what do I do?

    Option 1:  The FTP site is active, but some browsers are no longer supporting the ftp:// protocol.  You can access the same data by replacing “ ftp://newftp.epa.gov / ” with  “ https://gaftp.epa.gov/ ” and keep the rest of the URL the same.  The filenames you see will be shorter, but…

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