EPA backs off -- halfway -- on plan to gut toxics reporting

EPA administrator Stephen Johnson has announced that the administration is dropping its plan to excuse companies from annual reporting of their toxic chemical releases. At face value this is a step in the right direction. However, the EPA is still planning a drastic rollback to the inventory requirements of the TRI to ease the regulatory burden on polluting companies.

The current plan is to increase the threshold for reporting ten-fold move which will free one-third of the 23,000 facilities from any reporting requirements whatsoever. These industries include mining, utility, oil, rubber, plastics, printing, textile, leather tanning and semiconductor operations.

EPA Drops Plan to Ease Pollution Rules, Washington Post (30 Nov 06) EPA Backtracks on Easing Toxin Rule, Washington Post (30 Nov 06) Stolen Inventory : 2006 EWG report on the proposed TRI rollback

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