USEPA Proposes to Add 16 Chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory Program

On April 6, 2010, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) proposed to add 16 chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals. The TRI program is a database containing information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activities from federal facilities and certain industries, which is publically available. This is the first time chemicals have been proposed to be added to the TRI program in more than 10 years.

The proposed chemicals have been classified as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the National Toxicology Program in its Report on Carcinogens document. Therefore, USEPA believes they meet the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act section 313(d)(2)(B) listing criteria. Four of the proposed chemicals are polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) and are of special concern because; they are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals that are likely to remain a long-term environmental and human health concern.

 

USEPA is accepting comments on or before June 7, 2010. For more information, please see 75 Fed. Reg. 17333 (2010) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. Part 372)

 

This article was authored by Laura G. Swingle, Jackson Kelly PLLC. For more information on the author see here.