update on activities in the u.s . epa’s toxics release inventory program
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Update on Activities in the U.S. EPA’s
Toxics Release Inventory Program
November, 2014
Mexico City, Mexico
Stephen C. DeVito, Ph.D., RPh.
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 2013Effective 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 listFinal 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
Rulemaking Activities
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 Challengewww2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-university-challenge
University Partners for 2014-2015 Academic Year
TRI University Challengewww2.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
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
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 Projectfor South Philadelphia Pilot Project
FotonovelaLatino/Hispanic novella style
introduction to TRI inSpanish and English
TRI Community-Scale Analysis ofNorth Birmingham, Alabama
Pollution Prevention Activities
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
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) Initiativewww2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/pollution-prevention-p2-and-tri
Comparing TRI & GHG Trends
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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
TRI and the International Scene
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).
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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Activities by the OECD’s PRTR Task Force:
Development of a Global PRTR
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Framework on Use of PRTR Information in Achieving Global Sustainability
OECD PRTR Task Force to develop the FrameworkTarget date is 2016
U.S. TRI Program is developing a framework that will describe how TRI data can be used in achieving global sustainability.
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
Humidity: 100%Wind Speed: NE 18 G 33 mphBarometer: 29.89 in (1013.4 mb)Dewpoint: 49°F (9°C)Wind Chill: 43°F (6°C)
Data
Visualization
Knowledge on Demand
High winds will be coming from the south east, with a wind chill of 43 degrees.
Rain predicted through Friday.