For the purposes of this part:

(a) Accidental release means an unanticipated emission of a regulated substance or other extremely hazardous substance into the ambient air from a stationary source.

(b) Administrator means the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or his or her designated representative.

(c) Attorney General means the Attorney General of the United States or his or her designated representative.

(d) Federal government official means—

(1) An officer or employee of the United States; and

(2) An officer or employee of an agent or contractor of the Federal government.

(e) State or local government official means—

(1) An officer or employee of a State or local government;

(2) An officer or employee of an agent or contractor of a State or local government;

(3) 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, such as a member of a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) or a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), or a paid or volunteer member of a fire or police department; or

(4) An officer or employee or an agent or contractor of an entity described in paragraph (e)(3) of this section.

(f) LEPC means a Local Emergency Planning Committee created under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 U.S.C. 11001 et seq.

(g) Member of the public or person means an individual.

(h) Official use means an action of a Federal, State, or local government agency or an entity described in paragraph (e)(3) of this section intended to carry out a function relevant to preventing, planning for, or responding to accidental releases.

(i) Off-site consequence analysis (OCA) information means sections 2 through 5 of a risk management plan (consisting of an evaluation of one or more worst-case release scenarios or alternative release scenarios) for an identified facility and any electronic database created by the Administrator from those sections.

(j) Off-site consequence analysis (OCA) data elements means the results of the off-site consequence analysis conducted by a stationary source pursuant to 40 CFR part 68, subpart B, when presented in a format different than sections 2 through 5 of a risk management plan or any Administrator-created electronic database.

(k) Off-site consequence analysis (OCA) rankings means any statewide or national rankings of identified stationary sources derived from OCA information.

(l) Qualified researcher means a researcher who receives OCA information pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7412(r)(7)(H)(vii).

(m) Related local government agencies means local government agencies, such as police, fire, emergency management, and planning departments, that are involved in chemical emergency planning, prevention, or response.

(n) Related state government agencies means State government agencies, such as emergency management, environmental protection, health, and natural resources departments, that are involved in chemical emergency planning, prevention, or response.

(o) Risk management plan (RMP) means a risk management plan submitted to the Administrator by an owner or operator of a stationary source pursuant to 40 CFR part 68, subpart G.

(p) SERC means a State Emergency Response Commission created under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 U.S.C. 11001 et seq.

(q) State has the same meaning as provided in 42 U.S.C. 7602(d) (a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

(r) Stationary source has the same meaning as provided in 40 CFR part 68 subpart A, §68.3.

(s) Vulnerable zone means the geographical area that could be affected by a worst-case or alternative scenario release from a stationary source, as indicated by the off-site consequence analysis reported by the stationary source in its risk management plan pursuant to the applicable requirements of 40 CFR Part 68. It is defined as a circle, the center of which is the stationary source and the radius of which is the “distance-to-endpoint,” or the distance a toxic or flammable cloud, overpressure, or radiant heat would travel after being released and before dissipating to the point that it no longer threatens serious short-term harm to people or the environment.