[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3941-3942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1749]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-400138; FRL-6058-5]


Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic Chemicals; Toxic Chemical 
Release Reporting; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know; 
Multimedia Strategy for Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic Pollutants; 
Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: EPA will hold three public meetings to obtain public comment 
on two specific draft documents developed as part of the Agency's 
Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Pollutant strategy. The two 
draft documents are ``A Multimedia Strategy for Priority Persistent, 
Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants'' and ``EPA Action Plan For 
Mercury.'' EPA will also hold three public meetings to obtain public 
comment on the Agency's proposal and options: (1) To add certain PBT 
chemicals to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act 
(EPCRA) of 1986 section 313 list of toxic chemicals and (2) to lower 
reporting thresholds for certain PBT chemicals subject to EPCRA section 
313 and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). The Agency 
is also requesting comment on the persistence and bioaccumulation 
criteria presented in the proposed rule.

DATES: The first meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take 
place in Washington, DC on February 16, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn by 
noon. The second meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take 
place in Chicago, IL on February 23, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn at 
noon. The third meeting on EPA's PBT pollutant strategy will take place 
in San Francisco, CA on March 5, 1999, at 9 a.m. and adjourn at noon.
    The first meeting on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607 
proposed rulemaking will take place in Washington, DC on February 16, 
1999, at 1 p.m. and adjourn by 4 p.m. The second meeting on the EPCRA 
section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed rulemaking will take place in 
Chicago, IL on February 23, 1999, at 1 p.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m. The 
third meeting on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed 
rulemaking will take place in San Francisco, CA on March 5, 1999, at 1 
p.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings in Washington, DC will be held at the 
Environmental Protection Agency, Auditorium, Education Center, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC. The meetings in Chicago, IL will be held at 
the Environmental Protection Agency, Room 328, 77 West Jackson 
Boulevard, Chicago, IL. The meetings in San Francisco will be held at 
the Environmental Protection Agency, California Room, 75 Hawthorne St., 
San Francisco, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To sign up to speak at the meeting 
contact the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Hotline, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 5101, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20460, Toll free: 1-800-535-0202, in Virginia and 
Alaska: 703-412-9877 or Toll free TDD: 1-800-553-7672. For further 
information on the EPCRA section 313/PPA section 6607 proposed 
rulemaking contact Daniel R. Bushman, 202-260-3882, e-mail: 
[email protected]. For further information on the Agency's 
PBT pollutant strategy, contact Sam Sasnett, 202-260-8020, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. EPA's Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Pollutants Strategy

    In the Federal Register of November 17, 1998 (63 FR 63926) (FRL-
6045-2), EPA published a Notice announcing the availability of a draft 
strategy for affecting reductions in the releases and exposures to 
persistent, bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) pollutants, including a 
specific draft action plan for mercury. That notice requested the 
submission of written comments by February 16, 1999.

[[Page 3942]]

II. EPCRA Section 313/PPA Section 6607 Proposed Rulemaking

    In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Planning and Community 
Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). In 1990, Congress passed the Pollution 
Prevention Act. Section 313 of EPCRA and section 6607 of PPA require 
certain businesses to submit reports each year on the amounts of toxic 
chemicals their facilities release and otherwise manage as waste. The 
purpose of these requirements is to inform the public, government 
officials, and industry about releases and other quantities managed as 
waste in their communities.
    Currently, the EPCRA section 313 reporting thresholds are 25,000 
pounds for the ``manufacture'' or ``processing'' of a toxic chemical 
and 10,000 pounds for the ``otherwise use'' of a toxic chemical. On 
January 5, 1999 (64 FR 688) (FRL-6032-3), EPA proposed: (1) To lower 
the reporting thresholds for certain PBT chemicals that are subject to 
EPCRA section 313 and PPA section 6607; (2) to lower the reporting 
thresholds for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, which were previously 
proposed for addition to the EPCRA section 313 list of toxic chemicals; 
and (3) to add certain PBT chemicals to the EPCRA section 313 list of 
toxic chemicals. The Agency also presented persistence and 
bioaccumulation criteria in the proposed rule. These public meetings 
are being scheduled in order to provide a forum for dialog to be shared 
by EPA, potentially affected industry groups, and the public about the 
basis of EPA's proposed action, options provided, and potential impacts 
and benefits.

III. Notice of Public Meeting

    This Notice announces the Agency's intention to hold six public 
meetings to receive comments on both the PBT Strategy (including the 
Mercury Action Plan) and the EPCRA section 313 proposed rule. EPA 
planned these public meetings to cover these related actions because it 
believes that the same individuals are likely to want to comment on 
both. Therefore the public meetings have been scheduled such that 
comment on the PBT Strategy may be provided in the morning and comment 
on the EPCRA section 313 proposed rule may be provided in the 
afternoon. Oral statements will be scheduled on a first-come first-
serve basis by calling the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Hotline at the numbers listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. All statements will be part of the public record.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Community right-to-know.

    Dated: January 19, 1999.
William H. Sanders III,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 99-1749 Filed 1-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F