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Browner internal PBT memo--rhetoric or reality?
jane sez this is ok to post...
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>Subject: Browner Reemphasizes PBT
>>
>>FYI - Below is a final memo signed on April 9, 1999 from Carol Browner to the
>>Assistant Administrators reaffirming the Agency's commitment to addressing
>>Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic Substances (PBTs
>>
>>Jane Williams
>>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>
>>MEMORANDUM
>>
>>SUBJECT: Agency Commitment to Addressing Persistent, Bioaccumulative and
>>Toxic
>> Substances
>>
>>TO: Assistant Administrators
>> General Counsel
>> Inspector General
>> Chief Financial Officer
>> Associate Administrators
>> Regional Administrators
>> Staff Office Directors
>>
>> As we approach the second anniversary of the signing of ?The Great Lakes
>>Binational Toxics Strategy: Canada - United States Strategy for the Virtual
>>Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes? (Binational
>>Strategy or BNS), I would like to emphasize the Agency?s commitment to the
>>high-priority task of reducing persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
>>substances
>>both in the Great Lakes and nationally. These substances, including mercury,
>>PCBs and dioxins, pose serious dangers to ecosystems and public health,
>>especially to the health of our children. In addition, people who eat
>>fish from
>>contaminated areas for economic or cultural reasons are at higher risk
>>because
>>of exposure to mercury and PCBs.
>>
>> The Binational Strategy, which I signed with Canadian Minister of
>>Environment Sergio Marchi in April of 1997, calls for the reduction and
>>virtual
>>elimination of targeted persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances
>>through a
>>variety of regulatory and non-regulatory programs, with a strong emphasis on
>>pollution prevention. Although the focus of the Strategy is on the Great
>>Lakes
>>basin, it contains national commitments.
>>
>> The commitments made in the Binational Strategy and our emphasis on
>>pollution prevention led to the Agency?s 1998 ?Multimedia Strategy for
>>Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemicals? (the PBT Strategy).
>>These
>>commitments are also reflected in Goal #6 of the Agency Strategic Plan, the
>>Reduction of Global and Cross-Border Environmental Risks. One objective
>>under
>>Goal #6 calls for the reduction of ?risks to U.S. human health and ecosystems
>>from selected toxics that circulate in the environment ... consistent with
>>international obligations,? such as United Nations? agreements on persistent
>>organic pollutants. The PBT Strategy strengthens and reinforces the
>>Binational
>>Strategy, establishes a process for identifying additional persistent,
>>bioaccumulative toxics, and establishes an essential multi-media process to
>>develop and implement action plans to meet our national and international
>>commitments.
>>
>> It is very important that the Agency use its full complement of tools to
>>address these priority PBTs. Therefore, I want to ensure that our current
>>research, regulatory, voluntary, pollution prevention, public information,
>>enforcement, and international agenda supports the development and
>>implementation of action plans for the persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic
>>substances targeted in the BNS, and identified by the PBT Strategy.
>>
>> The Binational and the PBT Strategies have led, in part, to three
>>innovative and cutting-edge partnership agreements with industry. In
>>1998, the
>>Agency and the American Hospital Association signed a Memorandum of
>>Understanding to minimize and reduce the amount of persistent,
>>bioaccumulative
>>and toxic pollutants created and disposed of by hospitals. In September
>>1998,
>>three Northwest Indiana steel mills signed a voluntary agreement with the
>>Agency
>>to reduce the use of mercury at their facilities. Finally, the Agency is
>>working with the Chlorine Institute to help them achieve a 50% reduction in
>>mercury use and release.
>>
>> I believe these partnerships are excellent examples of the Agency?s new
>>approach to pollution prevention and toxics reduction, and I urge each
>>office to
>>seek out similar partnership opportunities. Our success in further protecting
>>human health and the environment will be founded on a combination of
>>voluntary
>>programs and a strong regulatory backstop. The voluntary partnering of
>>industry, government, environmental groups, Tribes and other stakeholders, as
>>envisaged in the PBT and the Binational Strategies, represents an
>>evolutionary
>>advance in addressing the most pervasive multimedia environmental issues.
>>
>>Action Needed
>>
>> I ask that each Program Office find ways to support these strategies
>>within
>>existing program priorities, in FY 1999. As you know, the President?s FY
>>1999
>>Budget Proposal requested approximately $9.3 million in funding to
>>support the
>>PBT Strategy. Such funding was to be used primarily for initiating
>>on-the-ground actions, developing national action plans for the highest
>>priority
>>PBTs, and funding Regional Office pilot projects. With additional
>>resources in
>>FY 2000 and 2001, we hope to be able to build on actions taken in the base
>>programs this year. I am particularly concerned with continuing our actions
>>under the Draft Mercury Action Plan. In addition, as the FY2001 annual
>>planning
>>and budgeting process begins, I would like to ask the Agency?s lead senior
>>managers for the Binational Strategies and the PBT Strategies to work
>>with the
>>appropriate Goal Teams to ensure that these issues are adequately
>>addressed in
>>the Goal Planning process.
>>
>> Finally, EPA at all levels should continue to work closely with our
>>Canadian counterparts to assure that vital information about PBTs is shared,
>>including policy ideas and model approaches for better addressing PBT
>>challenges. We must work vigorously to fulfill our domestic goals and
>>international commitments to reduce, and where possible, virtually eliminate
>>PBTs in the Great Lakes and other ecosystems.
>>
>> The Agency?s lead senior managers for these efforts are Chuck Fox,
>>Assistant Administrator for Water, Susan Wayland, Acting Assistant
>>Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, and David
>>Ullrich, Acting Regional Administrator, Region V. If you have any questions,
>>please contact them. Thank you for your support of this very high priority
>>Agency effort.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Carol M. Browner
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name="CAROLBRO.BM"
>>
>>