EPA
Considering Changing Rule Requiring Disclosure of Pollution
In October 2005, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson proposed
an egregious assault aimed at slashing the amount of
pollution information companies would be required to
disclose.
Without information about toxic chemicals being released
into our air and water, dumped, and otherwise transferred
from facilities across the country, local communities
would be unable to adequately act to protect their
health.
Please take a moment to tell the EPA that you want
to know what toxic chemicals are being released in
your community and ask your family and friends to get
involved by forwarding this email to them. Then, watch
for the release of our report, "Undisclosed Pollution," on
December 1st, which analyzes the local impacts of these
proposed cuts.
To take action, click on this link or paste it into
your web browser:
http://www.safefromtoxics.org/tx.asp?id=1214&id4=ES
Background
The Toxic Release Inventory Program (TRI) started
in 1987. It requires companies to report toxic releases
to air, land and water, as well as toxic waste that
is treated, burned, recycled, or disposed. Approximately
26,000 industrial facilities disclose information about
any of the 650 chemicals in the program.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson is proposing changes
to the program. These changes would be three-fold:
* A rule to propose that companies be allowed to release
ten times as much pollution before they are required
to report their releases.
* A rule that would allow companies to withhold information
about some of the most dangerous chemicals, such as
lead and mercury.
* A notification to Congress that EPA Administrator
Johnson intends to release a rule to change the frequency
of reporting to the program next fall from every year
to every other year.
The first two rules are currently open for public
comment while the third proposal is a notification
of a future rule that Stephen Johnson will propose
in October 2007.
If these rules become law, there will be devastating
implications in a variety of areas:
* Lost Incentives to Reduce Pollution : Since the
inception of the program in 1987, releases have dropped
by nearly 60%. In the past five years, EPA has reported
a 42% drop in the 600 chemicals in the program. When
companies are required to disclose their pollution,
they have an incentive to reduce it. Under the proposed
rules, not only would this incentive be reduced, but
companies could also increase their releases and we
wouldn't even know it.
* Impacts on Public Health : The 650 chemicals that
are currently a part of the Toxic Release Inventory
are chemicals of concern. Many are known carcinogens,
reproductive toxicants and respiratory toxicants. Increases
in these releases could have devastating impacts on
our health.
* State and Local Regulators Impacted : State and
local regulators use the Toxic Release Inventory to
implement specific state programs. For instance Washington
state regulators are opposing the Bush administration's
plan because they use the TRI to identify facilities
eligible for their pollution prevention program.
* Communities Would Lose Powerful Tool : Many communities
and citizen organizations use TRI information in their
campaigns and to protect their family's health. The
PIRGs have long used this information in air, water
and other successful campaigns.
Please take a moment to tell the EPA that you want
to know what toxic chemicals are being released in
your community and ask your family and friends to get
involved by forwarding this email to them. Then, watch
for the release of our report, "Undisclosed Pollution," on
December 1st, which analyzes the local impacts of these
proposed cuts.
To take action, click on this link or paste it into
your web browser:
http://www.safefromtoxics.org/tx.asp?id=1214&id4=ES
Sincerely,
Jill Johnson
Georgia PIRG Advocate
jillj@georgiapirg.org
http://www.GeorgiaPIRG.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free
to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
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