On April 6, EPA proposed to add sixteen (16) chemicals to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (your Form R or Form A submissions due each July 1). These sixteen chemicals have been classified by the National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Based on its review of available production and use information, EPA has concluded that these sixteen chemicals are manufactured, processed, or otherwise used in quantities that would exceed the EPCRA section 313 reporting thresholds.
The 16 chemicals include:
four (4) additional polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) – 1,6-Dinitropyrene, 1,8-Dinitropyrene, 6-Nitrochrysene and 4-Nitropyrene, all subject to the 100-lb threshold applied to PACs as chemicals of special concern,
as well as
1-Amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone, 2,2-bis(Bromomethyl)-1,3-propanediol, Furan, Glycidol, Isoprene, Methyleugenol, o-Nitroanisole, Nitromethane, Phenolphthalein, Tetrafluoroethylene, Tetranitromethane and
Vinyl Fluoride.
(Are you familiar with these chemicals? Do you use or generate any of them in your facility’s processes or activities?)
The proposed effective date for reporting these chemicals will be January 2011 (that is, initial TRI reports for the newly listed chemicals will be due by July 1, 2012, for the 2011 reporting year).
More information on the proposed rule and the listed chemicals may be found at www.epa.gov/tri/lawsandregs/ntp_chemicals/index.html.