TRI PBT Notice of Public Meetings

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

in D.C., Chi. & S.F.
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>[Federal Register: January 26, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 16)]
>[Notices]
>[Page 3941-3942]
>>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
>[DOCID:fr26ja99-81]
>
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>ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
>
>[OPPTS-400138; FRL-6058-5]
>
>
>Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic Chemicals; Toxic Chemical
>Release Reporting; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know;
>Multimedia Strategy for Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic Pollutants;
>Notice of Public Meetings
>
>AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
>
>ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
>
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>SUMMARY: EPA will hold three public meetings to obtain public comment
>on two specific draft documents developed as part of the Agency's
>Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Pollutant strategy. The two
>draft documents are ``A Multimedia Strategy for Priority Persistent,
>Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants'' and ``EPA Action Plan For
>Mercury.'' EPA will also hold three public meetings to obtain public
>comment on the Agency's proposal and options: (1) To add certain PBT
>chemicals to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
>(EPCRA) of 1986 section 313 list of toxic chemicals and (2) to lower
>reporting thresholds for certain PBT chemicals subject to EPCRA section
>313 and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). The Agency
>is also requesting comment on the persistence and bioaccumulation
>criteria presented in the proposed rule.
>
>DATES: The first meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take
>place in Washington, DC on February 16, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn by
>noon. The second meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take
>place in Chicago, IL on February 23, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn at
>noon. The third meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take place
>in San Francisco, CA on March 5, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn at noon.
>    The first meeting on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607
>proposed rulemaking will take place in Washington, DC on February 16,
>1999, at 1 p.m. and adjourn by 4 p.m. The second meeting on the EPCRA
>section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed rulemaking will take place in
>Chicago, IL on February 23, 1999, at 1 p.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m. The
>third meeting on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed
>rulemaking will take place in San Francisco, CA on March 5, 1999, at 1
>p.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m.
>
>ADDRESSES: The meetings in Washington, DC will be held at the
>Environmental Protection Agency, Auditorium, Education Center, 401 M
>St., SW., Washington, DC. The meetings in Chicago, IL will be held at
>the Environmental Protection Agency, Room 328, 77 West Jackson
>Boulevard, Chicago, IL. The meetings in San Francisco will be held at
>the Environmental Protection Agency, California Room, 75 Hawthorne St.,
>San Francisco, CA.
>
>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To sign up to speak at the meeting
>contact the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Hotline,
>Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 5101, 401 M St., SW.,
>Washington, DC 20460, Toll free: 1-800-535-0202, in Virginia and
>Alaska: 703-412-9877 or Toll free TDD: 1-800-553-7672. For further
>information on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed
>rulemaking contact Daniel R. Bushman, 202-260-3882, e-mail:
>bushman.daniel@epamail.epa.gov. For further information on the Agency's
>PBT pollutant strategy, contact Sam Sasnett, 202-260-8020, e-mail:
>sasnett.sam@epamail.epa.gov.
>
>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
>
>I. EPA's Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Pollutants Strategy
>
>    In the Federal Register of November 17, 1998 (63 FR 63926) (FRL-
>6045-2), EPA published a Notice announcing the availability of a draft
>strategy for affecting reductions in the releases and exposures to
>persistent, bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) pollutants, including a
>specific draft action plan for mercury. That notice requested the
>submission of written comments by February 16, 1999.
>
>[[Page 3942]]
>
>II. EPCRA Section 313/PPA Section 6607 Proposed Rulemaking
>
>    In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Planning and Community
>Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). In 1990, Congress passed the Pollution
>Prevention Act. Section 313 of EPCRA and section 6607 of PPA require
>certain businesses to submit reports each year on the amounts of toxic
>chemicals their facilities release and otherwise manage as waste. The
>purpose of these requirements is to inform the public, government
>officials, and industry about releases and other quantities managed as
>waste in their communities.
>    Currently, the EPCRA section 313 reporting thresholds are 25,000
>pounds for the ``manufacture'' or ``processing'' of a toxic chemical
>and 10,000 pounds for the ``otherwise use'' of a toxic chemical. On
>January 5, 1999 (64 FR 688) (FRL-6032-3), EPA proposed: (1) To lower
>the reporting thresholds for certain PBT chemicals that are subject to
>EPCRA section 313 and PPA section 6607; (2) to lower the reporting
>thresholds for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, which were previously
>proposed for addition to the EPCRA section 313 list of toxic chemicals;
>and (3) to add certain PBT chemicals to the EPCRA section 313 list of
>toxic chemicals. The Agency also presented persistence and
>bioaccumulation criteria in the proposed rule. These public meetings
>are being scheduled in order to provide a forum for dialog to be shared
>by EPA, potentially affected industry groups, and the public about the
>basis of EPA's proposed action, options provided, and potential impacts
>and benefits.
>
>III. Notice of Public Meeting
>
>    This Notice announces the Agency's intention to hold six public
>meetings to receive comments on both the PBT Strategy (including the
>Mercury Action Plan) and the EPCRA section 313 proposed rule. EPA
>planned these public meetings to cover these related actions because it
>believes that the same individuals are likely to want to comment on
>both. Therefore the public meetings have been scheduled such that
>comment on the PBT Strategy may be provided in the morning and comment
>on the EPCRA section 313 proposed rule may be provided in the
>afternoon. Oral statements will be scheduled on a first-come first-
>serve basis by calling the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
>Know Hotline at the numbers listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
>CONTACT. All statements will be part of the public record.
>
>List of Subjects
>
>    Environmental protection, Community right-to-know.
>
>    Dated: January 19, 1999.
>William H. Sanders III,
>Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
>[FR Doc. 99-1749 Filed 1-25-99; 8:45 am]
>BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
>
>
>
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>End of EPA-TRI2 Digest 23
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>