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Update on Activities in the U.S . EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Program

Update on Activities in the U.S . EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Program. November, 2014 Mexico City, Mexico. Stephen C. DeVito, Ph.D., RPh. Rulemaking Activities. Finalized rule that added ortho -Nitrotoluene to TRI Chemical list

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Update on Activities in the U.S . EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Program

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  1. Update on Activities in the U.S. EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Program November, 2014 Mexico City, Mexico Stephen C. DeVito, Ph.D., RPh.

  2. Rulemaking Activities • Finalized rule that added ortho-Nitrotoluene to TRI Chemical list o- Nitrotoluene classified as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the U.S. National Toxicology Program • Final rule published Nov. 7 2013 • Effective with the 2014 reporting year (first reports due July 1, 2015) • More info at:www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-11-07/pdf/2013-26475.pdf • Finalized rule that added Nonylphenol to the TRI Chemical list • Final rule published Tuesday, Sept 30th, 2014 • Effective with the 2015 reporting year (first reports due July 1, 2016) • More info at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-09-30/pdf/2014-23255.pdf

  3. TRI University Challenge www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-university-challenge • This project seeks to: • gain a better understanding of and address TRI data user needs at the community level and national level, and • promote the use of TRI data and information on behalf of vulnerable communities. • This project involves working collaboratively with professors, college classes or individual students;

  4. TRI University Challenge www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-university-challenge • University Partners for 2014-2015 Academic Year • Drew University – Environmental Studies and Sustainability • Southeastern Louisiana University – Computer Sci and Industrial Techn. • SUNY Plattsburgh - Center for Earth and Environmental Science • Tennessee State University - Geographic Information Sciences Laboratory • University of California, Los Angeles - Institute of the Environ and Sustain. • University of South Carolina – Department of Geography

  5. TRI Community Engagement Initiative • Goal: To make TRI data easier to access, understand and use for communities. • Conducted Four Pilot Community Projects -- in Tonawanda, NY, South Philadelphia, PA, Jurupa Valley, CA, and North Birmingham, AL. • Held educational workshops and solicited input in each of the four pilot communities to improve TRI outreach and educational efforts. • Created new “TRI for Communities” section of TRI website: www.epa.gov/tri/communities • “Introduction to TRI for Communities” • Community-oriented slide presentation for • Educating communities about TRI • “TRI Community Snapshots” • Two-page handouts for four pilot communities

  6. TRI Community Engagement Special Pilot Projects • TRI Community Engagement Mapping Project • for South Philadelphia Pilot Project • Interactive map of TRI and other EPA regulated facilities -- and public sites where aging adults and children congregate in South Philadelphia Fotonovela TRI Community-Scale Analysis of North Birmingham, Alabama Pollution Prevention Activities Latino/Hispanic novella style introduction to TRI in Spanish and English

  7. TRI pilot community engagement projects demonstrated that TRI can help communities: • Identify how many TRI facilities operate in the community and where they are located. • Identify which chemicals are being released by TRI facilities. • Track increases or reductions of toxic chemical releases from facilities located in the community over time. • Compare the toxic chemical releases and pollution prevention efforts of facilities in one location with similar facilities across the country. • Prioritize efforts to reduce pollutionfrom facilities located in the area. • All new TRI Community Engagement products are available at: www.epa.gov/tri/communities

  8. TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Initiative www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/pollution-prevention-p2-and-tri • This initiative seeks to: • Encourage better reporting of effective environmental practices (e.g., P2) by facilities; • Make TRI data collected under the P2 Act more accessible; • Develop a framework for using TRI data to achieve P2; • Promote use of TRI as a tool for identifying solutions and best practices that have led to superior environmental outcomes. • This initiative involves working collaboratively with public & private sector organizations who promote P2.

  9. Comparing TRI & GHG Trends

  10. Upcoming Events • TRI National Analysis (Reporting Year 2013) • Scheduled to take place in January, 2015; • Much more pollution prevention-related information was reported; • Parent Company enhancement to the P2 Tool to be available • TRI National Conference • November, 2015 • Washington DC area

  11. TRI and the International Scene

  12. The Current Situation • Need to assess progress in sustainability on a global level; • More emphasis will be placed on PRTRs as sustainability tools. • Existing PRTRs were designed to track emissions and waste transfers on a country (local) level, not on a global level; • It is difficult to integrate information from different PRTR systems • Differences in chemical coverage; • Differences in sector coverage; • Differences in reporting criteria (e.g., reporting thresholds).

  13. The Current Situation • Little guidance exists on how PRTR data can be used to achieve global sustainability; • Many PRTRs collect specific pollution prevention information, but there is little information on how this information can be used to further prevent pollution. • All PRTRs collect information release and waste transfer information, which can be used in pollution prevention related analyses.

  14. What is Being Done • Making the information collected by existing PRTRs more comparable and miscible; • Taking steps to make the information collected by emerging or future PRTRs comparable/miscible with existing PRTRs; • Developing guidance that describes how PRTR information can be used in achieving global sustainability; • Some PRTR programs are: • Improving the pollution prevention information they collect; • Expanding and encouraging the use of pollution prevention information; • Repackaging the pollution prevention information; • Make it more accessible; • Make it more useable; • Promote accomplishments in pollution prevention

  15. Data Comparability Among Existing PRTRs • North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation • “Action Plan to Enhance the Comparability of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers in North America” • Taking Stock Online tool • Integrates and enables analyses of PRTR data from Mexico (RETC), U.S. (TRI) and Canada (NPRI); • www.cec.org/Page.asp?PageID=749&SiteNodeID=1215&BL_ExpandID=754 • European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) • provides easily accessible PRTR data from facilities in European Union Member States and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. • prtr.ec.europa.eu/home.aspx • OECD’s Centre for PRTR Data • Enables access to PRTR data of the OECD area • www2.env.go.jp/chemi/prtr/prtrdata/prtr/localstart.php

  16. Data Comparability: Emerging PRTRs Activities by the OECD’s PRTR Task Force: Development of a Global PRTR • Draft Guidance Document on Elements of a PRTR: Part I (Nov. 2013) • Outlines the design of a PRTR; • Focuses on common elements among different PRTRs; • Serves as a framework from which emerging or future PRTRs can be designed, such that data can be harmonized with data collected by other PRTRs. • Guidance Document on Elements of a PRTR Part II (draft developed) • Will describe how to implement the guidance provided in Part I (above)

  17. Framework on Use of PRTR Information in Achieving Global Sustainability • OECD PRTR Task Force to develop the Framework • Target date is 2016 • U.S. TRI Program is developing a framework that will describe how TRI data can be used in achieving global sustainability.

  18. Where We Are Heading • Data Quality Program • Pollution Prevention Program • Data Analytics/Data Visualization • Meeting the Future Needs of Users of TRI Data • “TRI 2020” Vision • Knowledge on Demand Paradigm

  19. Data Humidity: 100% Wind Speed: NE 18 G 33 mph Barometer: 29.89 in (1013.4 mb) Dewpoint: 49°F (9°C) Wind Chill: 43°F (6°C)

  20. Visualization

  21. Knowledge on Demand High winds will be coming from the south east, with a wind chill of 43 degrees. Rain predicted through Friday.

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