In 1985, the Oregon Legislature passed the Oregon Community Right to Know (CR2K) and Protection Act. The purpose of this law is to provide first responders and the public with information about hazardous substances in their response areas and neighborhoods. The law directs the Office of State Fire Marshal to survey business and government facilities for information about the presence of hazardous substances and to collect information about incidents involving hazardous substances. The law further directs the OSFM to provide planning and training assistance to local jurisdictions on hazardous substance emergency response and preparedness.

In 1986, Congress passed the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Title III of this legislation is the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) which is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Facilities that provide all information required by Oregon CR2K reporting requirements are considered by EPA as complying with several sections of EPCRA, including notification to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and local fire departments.

Once collected, this information is provided to emergency responders and emergency planners to assist them with hazardous materials pre-emergency planning and response. The information is also available to the general public in order to aid in familiarity with the hazardous materials in their communities. To access this information, refer to the Information Access and Reports section on this web page.​​​