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Update on Activities in the U.S. EPAs Toxics Release Inventory Program November, 2014 Mexico City, Mexico Stephen C. DeVito, Ph.D., RPh. Slide 2 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 30 th, 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 Rulemaking Activities Slide 3 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; TRI University Challenge www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-university-challenge Slide 4 University Partners for 2014-2015 Academic Year TRI University Challenge www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-university-challenge 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 Slide 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 Slide 6 Interactive map of TRI and other EPA regulated facilities -- and public sites where aging adults and children congregate in South Philadelphia TRI Community Engagement Special Pilot Projects TRI Community Engagement Mapping Project for South Philadelphia Pilot Project Fotonovela Latino/Hispanic novella style introduction to TRI in Spanish and English TRI Community-Scale Analysis of North Birmingham, Alabama Pollution Prevention Activities Slide 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 pollution from facilities located in the area. All new TRI Community Engagement products are available at: www.epa.gov/tri/communities Slide 8 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. TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Initiative www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/pollution-prevention-p2-and-tri Slide 9 Comparing TRI & GHG Trends 9 Slide 10 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 Upcoming Events Slide 11 Slide 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). 12 Slide 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. 13 Slide 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 14 Slide 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 OECDs Centre for PRTR Data Enables access to PRTR data of the OECD area www2.env.go.jp/chemi/prtr/prtrdata/prtr/localstart.php 15 Slide 16 Data Comparability: Emerging PRTRs 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) 16 Activities by the OECDs PRTR Task Force: Development of a Global PRTR Slide 17 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. Slide 18 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 Where We Are Heading Slide 19 Humidity: 100% Wind Speed: NE 18 G 33 mph Barometer: 29.89 in (1013.4 mb) Dewpoint: 49F (9C) Wind Chill: 43F (6C) Slide 20 Slide 21 High winds will be coming from the south east, with a wind chill of 43 degrees. Rain predicted through Friday.