E.P.A. Provides Incentives to Reduce Chemical Emissions and Increase Recycling Nationwide

(Washington, D.C. - Dec. 18, 2006) Today the E.P.A. finalized a Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) rule that encourages reductions in chemical emissions and increases in recycling at facilities nationwide. E.P.A. also announced today its decision to continue requiring TRI data reporting on an yearly basis.

"EPA is delivering a cleaner, healthier nation by encouraging businesses to make environmental enhancements now and in the future," said Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock. "Cleaner businesses are more efficient businesses, which is good for the environment, good for the economy and good for the American people."

These changes in no way affect the specific chemicals or amounts of chemicals facilities are authorized to release to the environment. In addition, the final rule does not exempt any facility from reporting their releases, nor does it remove any chemicals from the TRI. The rule allows facilities that completely eliminate delivers of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs), and recycle and treat no in excess of 500 pounds of such chemicals, to use a shorter reporting form. By reducing long-lasting PBTs, E.P.A. and facilities are delivering a cleaner environment.

For non-PBT chemicals, the rule allows businesses to use the simpler reporting form if their delivers are no in excess of 2,000 pounds of waste as part of an overall waste management limit of 5,000 pounds. By imposing the 2,000 pound cap on delivers for non-PBT chemicals, E.P.A. is encouraging businesses to rely on preferred waste management methods, such as recycling and treatment, rather than disposal and other releases.

Over the past several years, E.P.A. has worked with its partners to increase the efficiency, accuracy and timeliness of TRI data. Stakeholders requested that E.P.A. share TRI data sooner without waiting for further analyses. In response, for the last 3 years, E.P.A. has provided the public with the electronic Facility Data Release (e- FDR) months before the yearly Public Data Release (PDR). Last year, there was a 24 percent increase in electronic reporting forms for 2005 data. Electronic reporting allows E.P.A. to process the data faster, with built-in quality checks, to enhance accuracy.

TRI is a publicly accessible E.P.A. database, which contains information on toxic chemical delivers and other waste management activities reported annually by certain industries and federal facilities.

More information about the final rule: epa.gov/tri/tridata/modrule/phase2/forma.htm

About TRI: epa.gov/tri

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