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History and Reporting Requirements
As a direct result of the Bophal disaster and several other major chemical spills in the United States, Congress passed the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986. Some of the purposes of Community Right-to-Know Act are the following: to increase community awareness of chemical hazards, support and focus state and local planning activities, and to support chemical accident and pollution prevention initiatives. Each year EPA issues a Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data package which serves as a report card for how the nation is progressing in the effort to decrease releases of toxic chemicals into the environment. Specific information on TRI-COVERED facilities in your community is readily available. Information is reported by covered facilities on July 1 for the previous year.
Covered facilities must report releases of toxic chemicals to the EPA and the State on a form R or A. Facilities are covered if they manufacture or process 25,000 pounds/year of an EPCRA Section 313-listed chemical or a member of a listed class of chemicals, or use 10,000 pounds of a listed chemical per year for any other use; have 10 or more employees per year; and are in manufacturing or production facilities. The form R report was expanded to include additional production and pollution prevention activities by the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990.
Since reporting year 1993, all Federal Facilities are also required to report, regardless of their SIC codes, if the other two reporting criteria are met. For the 1996 reporting year the chemical list was expanded to over 600 chemicals and 28 chemical categories. For 1998 reporting year additional sectors were required to report. These include Metal Mining (SIC 10 except 1011, 1081, and 1094), Coal Mining (SIC 12 except 1241), Electricity Generating Facilities using coal or oil (SIC 4911, 4931, and 4939), Refuse Systems (4953), Chemicals and Allied Systems (5169), Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (5171) and Solvent Recovery Services on a Contract or Fee Basis (7389) .
To learn how facilities in the TRI database use or release toxic chemicals in Region 6, contact Morton (Mort) E. Wakeland, Jr., Ph.D., at (214) 665-8116 or E-Mail: wakeland.morton@epa.gov
To access TRI reporting guidance http://www.epa.gov/tri/ or the TRI Hot Line at 800-424-9346. You can obtain the most recent documents on reporting at http://www.epa.gov /ncepihom/orderpub.html free of charge or by calling 1-800-490-9198.
Electronic Self-Disclosure under the EPA Audit Policy
EPA’s Web-based system allows for electronic self-disclosure under the EPA Audit Policy. The pilot program, known as the Audit Policy Self-Disclosure system or eDisclosure, allows companies nationwide to electronically self-disclose violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
Information on EPA's TRI Program Additions and New Initiatives:
1. Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBTs)
In October of 1999 EPA published a final rule reducing the reportable threshold for selected PBTs and dioxin and dioxin-like compounds [40 CFR Part 372 (October 29, 1999)]. This final rule can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. A complete listing of information available on this new rule can be accessed from the TRI home page http://www.epa.gov/tri.
2. Lead and Lead Compounds
A recent final rule to lower the reporting threshold for lead and lead compounds can be found in the Federal Register for January 17, 2001 (40 CFR Part 372) at the above address. Supporting information may be found at the TRI home page address above. The new reporting threshold is 100 pounds of use of lead and lead compounds per year. It will effect 2002 reports for 2001 data.
3. High Production Volume (HPV) Chemicals
The United States imports or produces 2,800 HPV chemicals at a level of more than one million pounds per year. Only 7% of these have a full set of basic ecological and human toxicology testing. In 1998 Administrator Carol Browner sent a letter to over 800 company executive officers asking them to voluntarily test HPV chemicals. In Region 6, 161 companies were contacted. Since than over 40 companies have made voluntary commitments to the HPV Challenge. For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemrtk
4. Toxic Release Inventory - Based Risk Screening Environmental Indicators
This year the EPA will release a revised and expanded version of a Relative Risk Screening Environmental Indicators tool that is capable of converting facility release data in pounds to chronic human health risk weighted release values which include considerations such as demographics, exposure, wind direction, toxicity, ethnicity, and financial status. This version features the addition of water and land to air modeling and new graphic plume representations. The tool is currently in the beta test phase. Several training sessions in the use of this model will be held throughout the year. Times and locations will be announced as they become available. For further information please see http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/rsei/
EPA Region 6 EPCA, Section 313 Contacts:
Morton (Mort) E. Wakeland, Jr., Ph.D., EPCRA 313 Enforcement & Program
Coordinator, (214) 665-8116, or
Email: wakeland.morton@epa.gov
Stan Lancaster, EPCRA 313 Enforcement Officer, 214.665.8034
Email:
lancaster.stan@epa.gov
Larry Stranne, EPCRA 313 Inspector, (214) 665-7337, or
Email: stranne.lawrence@epa.gov
State EPCA, Section 313 Contacts:
|
ARKANSAS |
LOUISIANA |
| NEW MEXICO Jerry J. Lazzari Hazardous Materilas Program Manager New Mexico Department of Public Safety Office of Emergency Services and Security 13 Bataan Blvd Santa Fe, NM P.O. Box 1628 Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628 505.476.9681 pager: 505.939.4188 fax: 505.476.9695 jlazzari@dps.state.nm.us |
OKLAHOMA |
| TEXAS Kenneth "Blake" Kidd, Ph.D. Toxics Release Inventory Coordinator Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 12100 Park 35 Circle, Building E Austin, TX 78753 P.O. Box 13087 (MC-164) Austin, TX 78711-3087 512.239.1441 fax: 512.239.1555 kkidd@tceq.state.tx.us TRI HELP LINE: 512.239.4874 |