[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 151 (Monday, August 8, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19292]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 8, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPT-00161; FRL-4906-3]

 

Chemical Use Inventory (TRI Phase 3); Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA will hold a one-half day public meeting to further explore 
issues related to the possible creation of a ``Chemical Use Inventory'' 
(CUI) through the addition of chemical ``use'' data to existing 
information collection requirements. This meeting will focus 
specifically on the addition of such requirements to the Toxics Release 
Inventory (TRI).

DATES: The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 1994, at 
12:30 p.m. and will adjourn at 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Environmental Protection 
Agency, Auditorium, Education Center, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 
20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike McDonell, Environmental 
Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, (7408), 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 
20460 or phone (202) 260-1477. Attention Administrative Record No. AR 
128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics (OPPT) is currently reviewing the concept of a ``Chemical Use 
Inventory'' (CUI) which would collect information on the use of toxic 
chemicals. OPPT believes that use information holds promise for 
providing insight on a range of pollution prevention issues, and would 
also be helpful in screening and evaluating chemicals in commerce.
    OPPT held a multi-stakeholders meeting to discuss CUI issues in 
January of 1994, and the meeting revealed that several stakeholder 
groups were interested in the addition of use information to the Toxics 
Release Inventory. TRI is a publicly available database that informs 
the public and government agencies about facility-specific toxic 
chemical data such as the amount of releases. It is also widely used by 
companies to benchmark their own pollution prevention and reduction 
efforts. The Agency is currently expanding TRI to include more 
chemicals (TRI expansion phase 1) and more industry sectors (TRI 
expansion phase 2), and is exploring use issues as a possible TRI 
expansion phase 3.
    TRI reporting requirements currently address facility 
identification information, plus a range of chemical-specific 
information such as activities and uses of the chemical at the 
facility, releases of the chemical to the environment on-site, 
transfers of chemicals in wastes off-site, and a summary of source 
reduction and recycling activities. The type of information under 
discussion for possible TRI-phase 3 expansion is generally known as 
``materials accounting'' information and includes input data such as 
the quantity of chemical brought on-site, and output data such as the 
quantity consumed and the quantity sent off site in product.
    In addition, OPPT is exploring the issue of adding occupational 
demographics data elements to TRI. These would address the number of 
workers potentially exposed to a chemical, and whether or not 
occupational exposure monitoring has been performed.
    EPA is interested in understanding more about the utility of this 
type of data, and how various groups might use it, whether in looking 
at a single facility, or in looking at aggregated statistics. EPA is 
also interested in understanding the perspective of facilities that 
would be covered by this type of TRI expansion. EPA is interested in 
hearing about how these data are used in the states that currently 
collect such data, along with plans for using such data in the future.
    EPA has developed an issues paper that provides an overview of 
these issues in further detail, and that includes questions for 
consideration by those planning to attend the public meeting. Copies of 
this paper will be available on Friday, September 2, 1994, from the 
address and telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Oral statements will be scheduled on a first-come, first-
served basis by calling the telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. EPA encourages meeting participants to provide 
written statements, and to submit the statements in advance of the 
meeting.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: August 2, 1994.

Samuel Sassnett,
Acting Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics.

[FR Doc. 94-19292 Filed 8-5-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F