Reportable Quantity in the United States

Reportable Quantity (RQ) in Environmental Law

The amount of particular hazardous substances or extremely hazardous substances that triggers the requirement to report a release to the environment. (Generally this means that the substance left private property.) Reporting requirements for nonhazardous substances depend on the circumstances and what media (air, surface water, groundwater, or earth) were affected.

Hazardous substance reporting is regulated by the Emergency Planning and Community RightToKnow Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Reportable quantities are set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Depending on the toxicity, corrosivity, flammability, or reactivity of the hazardous substance, the reportable quantity may be as little as a pound or as much as 10,000 pounds.

If the reportable quantity of a substance is released, the person who allowed the release must notify the National Response Center and the Local Area Planning Commission. Also, the person responsible must implement a response plan to contain and clean up the release as quickly as possible.
Based on “Environment and the Law. A Dictionary”.