United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Pollution Prevention
and Toxics
(7407)
Summer 1995
EPA 749-R-95-002
vvEPA
Chemicals in the Environment
Public Access Information
New Chemicals
Program: Gatekeeper
to Prevent
Unreasonable R/sfcs
Chemicalsiin the
Environment: OPPT
Chemical fact Sheets
Health and Safety
Studies
8(e) Triage: Notices of
Significant Health
Risk Database
Lead in the
Environment
Obtaining Information
on Asbestos
TSCA Assistance
information Service
Toxics Release
inventory
Environmental
Education Project
EPCRA Hotline
33/50 Program
Design for the
Environment
Pollution Prevention
information
Clearinghouse
Welcome Message
Linda A. Travers, Director, Information Management Division
The United States
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) maintains a wide
range of environmental information.
Some of this information tells us what
chemicals and pollutants are released
by industrial plants. Other
information tells us about the health
and environmental effects of chemicals.
Still other information tells us what
chemicals people may be exposed to.
EPA believes that it is in everyone's
interest to make this information
available to the public. "Public" here
includes industry, state governments,
community groups, environmental
groups, and, of course, public citizens.
Access to information is the best way
to ensure everyone has the opportunity
to evaluate and reduce environmental
and health risks.
To make this information accessible,
the Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT) within EPA provides a
variety of information services and
products. These include call-in
hotlines, publications, diskettes with
data, CD-ROMs, and access to on-line
databases.
This publication is one way for you to
find out about EPA's information
products related to chemicals. The
first edition of the Chemicals in the
Environment: Public Access Information
provides information on a number of
major OPPT products and services that
reflect the scope of our programs. We
hope to reach a wide audience to let
you know what information products
are available, what they can do for you,
and how to get them.
We would like to know if this
publication is helpful to you. Please
direct your comments or questions to
the editor, Randall Brinkhuis (see page
2 for his mailing and Internet
addresses).
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
The New Chemicals Program: Gatekeeper to Prevent Unreasonable Risks
David Di Fiore, Chemical Control Division
Imagine that you had the opportunity to redesign the
way the country goes about protecting the
environment and human health. One important
focus would certainly be hazardous chemicals-those
currently made and in use, but also, and perhaps more
importantly, those that have been developed but not yet
manufactured commercially and released into the
environment. It is within this latter group that the best
opportunities exist to prevent pollution and harm, before
a single worker or consumer is exposed to a chemical and
before a single kilogram enters the environment. It is
preventive action at this juncture that should avert the
catastrophic effects of a new dioxin- or PCB-like
compound.
Chemicals at the Environment: Public Access Information
is published by EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT) to increase public access to and awareness
of information on toxic chemicals and pollution
prevention available through OPPT.
This resource is also accessible through the EPA Gopher
at gopher.epa.gov. It is located under EPA Offices and
Regions/Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics/Toxic
Substances/Chemicals in the Environment Public Access
Bulletin. (The EPA Gopher's menu structure will be
undergoing some changes. In the event that this
publication is no longer located there, use the Jughead
index tool to search for it.)
Advisory Board
Project Manager: Georgianne McDonald
Editor: Randall Brinkhuis
Internet: brinkhuis.randall@epantail.epa.gov
Publisher: Chuck Freeman
Internet feeeman.charles@epamail.epa.gov
Assistant Editor: KathyHogan
OPPT Divisional Representatives:
David Di Fiore, CCD Ted Jones, CSRAD
Dan Fort, EETD Mike McDaneH BAD
Odelia Funke, IMD Joe Merenda, HERD
Ruth Heikkinen, BAD (forPPD) Tim Torma, CMD
Mailing Address:
Chemicals in the Environment: Public Access Information
U.S. EPA
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (7407)
401 M St., SW
Washington, DC 20460
Fortunately, the drafters of the Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA) had the good sense and foresight to realize
the importance of placing a gatekeeper between the
laboratory and the commercial marketplace. That
gatekeeper is the New Chemicals Program (NCP).
The New Chemicals
Program reviews new
chemical notices to
determine whether the
manufacture, processing,
distribution in commerce,
use or disposal of a
substance may present an
unreasonable risk to
human health or the
environment.
The NCP derives its
authority from
Section 5 of TSCA,
which requires all
manufactures or
importers of "new"
chemicals to file a
notice with the EPA
90 days prior to
commercial activity
(or to file a request
for an exemption to
the 90-day notice
requirement). A
simplified definition
of a "new" chemical
under TSCA is one
made or brought into the U.S. after 1977--when the
"existing" chemical inventory was established-and one
not specifically regulated under another statute (like
those that apply to pesticides or drugs).
The NCP reviews the new chemical notice to determine
whether the manufacture, processing, distribution in
commerce, use or disposal of the substance may present
an unreasonable risk to human health or the
environment. The program's assessment includes
exposures and risks to workers, consumers and the
general population (for example, from drinking water or
fish consumption), as well as risks to wildlife, including
endangered species. From its inception in 1979, the
program has reviewed over 26,000 new chemical notices
and exemption applications and taken action to control
potential unreasonable risks associated with
approximately 10% of those chemicals.
A brochure and additional information on the New Chemicals
Program are available through the EPA TSCA Assistance
Information Service at (202) 554-1404. If you have
additional questions about the program, contact David Di
Fiore at (202) 260-3374, fax (202) 260-0118.
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Issue No. 1
Public Access Information
Chemicals in the Environment: OPPT Chemical Fact Sheets
Randall Brinkhuis, Information Management Division,
and Richard Wormell, Chemical Screening and Risk Assessment Division
Chemicals can be released to the environment as a
result of their manufacture, processing, and use.
EPA has developed a series of fact sheets and
chemical summaries to describe how you might be
exposed to selected chemicals, how exposure to them
might affect you and the
environment, what happens
to them in the environment,
and whom to contact for
additional information.
EPA is committed to
reducing environmental
releases of chemicals
through source reduction
and other practices that
reduce creation of ^ ^
pollutants.
Each Fact Sheet is also accompanied by a Chemical
Summary (a technical support document that provides
detailed technical information on the chemical named in
the Fact Sheets).
The initial goal of this project was to provide summaries
that would supplement information on the
environmental release of Toxics Release Inventory
chemicals. The Fact Sheets are also intended to provide
the public with information on other chemicals under
assessment by the Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics.
The first set of fact sheets has been completed for:
Acetaldehyde
Acetonitrile
Acrylamide
Acrylic acid
1-Butanol
Carbon disulfide
Carbonyl sulfide
Chlorine
Cyclohexane
Freon 113
Methanol
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Methyl-tert-butyl ether
Methylchloroform (a.k.a.
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane)
Methylene chloride (a.k.a.
Dichloromethane)
2-Methoxyethanol
Perchloroethylene
Toluene
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
Fact sheets for another forty chemicals are being
prepared.
Copies of the Fact Sheets for the first set of chemicals are
available from the TSCA Assistance Information Service,
(202) 554-1404. They are also accessible electronically
on the Right-to-Know Network; dial in via modem at
(202) 234-8570 or telnet to rtk.net (login as "public")
for Internet access. The Fact Sheets and Chemical
Summaries are also available on the EPA Gopher
(gopher.epa.gov) under EPA Office and Regions/ Office
of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances / Toxic
Substances / Chemicals in the Environment: OPPT
Chemical Fact Sheets.
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
The Toxic Substances Control Act was enacted by Congress in 1976. To ensure wise
and informed decision-making by the government, TSCA gives EPA authority to gather
certain kinds of basic information on chemical risks from those who manufacture,
process, import, or distribute chemicals. The law also enables EPA to require
companies to test selected existing chemicals for toxic effectst and requires the Agency
to review most new chemicals before they are manufactured.
To prevent unreasonable risks, EPA may select from a broad range of control actions
under TSCA from requiring hazard-warning labels to outright bans on the manufacture
or use of especially hazardous chemicals. Under TSCA, EPA may regulate a chemical's
unreasonable risks at any stage in its iifecyde: the manufacturing, processing,
distribution in commerce, use, or disposal.
A more complete description of TSCA can befound in The Lay man's Guide to the Toxfc Substances
Control Aa. Copies of that publication, the law itself, and other publications dealing with TSCA
are available from the TSCA Assistance Information Service, {202} 554-1404,
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
Health and Safety Studies
Toxic Substance Control Act Test Submissions (TSCATS)
Geraldine Nowak, Information Management Division
TSCATS (Toxic Substances Control Act Test
Submissions) is an online index to
unpublished, nonconfidential studies
covering chemical testing results and adverse
effects of chemicals on health and ecological
systems. The studies are submitted by U.S.
industry to EPA under several sections of the
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). There
are four types of documents in the database:
Section 4 chemical testing results,
Section 8(d) health and safety
studies, Section 8(e) substantial
risk of injury to health or the
environment notices, and voluntary
documents submitted to EPA known as a
For Your Information (FYI) notice.
TSCATS contains information that is
pertinent to the risk assessment and hazard
evaluation processes. The information can be
used in conjunction with published material
and is a valuable source along with or in the absence of
published data. The data are used by federal and state
agencies, researchers, toxicologists, risk assessors, the
regulated industry, attorneys, trade and professional
associations.
TSCATS was developed to make ongoing and completed
chemical testing studies available to the public and
includes chemical exposure studies,
epidemiology, environmental fate,
monitoring, episodic incidents, such as spills
and case reports. There are 81,000 studies
on 6,700 unique chemical substances are
contained in 23,000 documents. On
average three or four individual studies are
extracted from each document.
Studies are indexed under three broad
categories: health effects, ecological effects and
environmental fate. Additional controlled
vocabulary terms are assigned to describe the
experimental protocol and test observations. A
TSCATS record also includes: the chemical name, CAS
(Chemical Abstracts Service) Registry Number, Section
of TSCA, title, document number, microfiche number,
submitting organization, and performing organization.
A select number of studies also have abstracts.
The index is accessible through a variety of electronic
formats (see sidebar). The full text of the studies is
available on microfiche from Chemical Information
Systems or the National Technical Information Service.
Each study is referenced by a microfiche number which
is necessary when ordering the full-text document.
EPA contact: Geraldine Nowak, (202) 260-2320.
Internet address: nowak.geraldine@epamail.epa.gov.
Electronic Access to TSCATS
On-line System Filename
National Library of Medicine TOXLINE
Chemical Information Systems TSCATS
Dialog Information Services File 156
STN International TQXLIST
Phone #
(301)496-6193
(800) CIS-USER
(800) 3-DIALOG
(614) 421-3600
(Note: AD of the above services charge for accessing their files.)
CD-ROM ;
SUverPIatter (TOXUNE), (617) 235-1715
Magnetic Tape
National Technical Information Service, (703) 487-4650
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Issue No. 1
Public Access Information
Notices of Significant Health Risks
8(e) Triage Chemical Studies Database Product
Charles Freeman, Information Management Division
In order to help reduce the risks of chemicals in the
environment, EPA recognizes the importance of
providing the public with access to the information
collected under environmental laws.
Under Section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA), manufacturers, importers, and distributors of
chemical substances and mixtures are required to inform
EPA of studies conducted that reasonably support the
conclusion that the chemicals present a "substantial risk
of injury" to human health or the environment. One
intended use of this information is to make it accessible
to the general public and organizations whose efforts are
associated with protection of health and safety.
If members of a community
question whether certain
chemicals being released in
their community are of
significant health risk,
information collected
jy under Section 8(e)
could assist in their
research efforts. EPA has developed a user-friendly
database to serve as a vehicle for sharing this 8(e)
submission information.
In 1991, OPPT initiated the Compliance Audit Program
(CAP). The CAP was a voluntary program that
encouraged companies to audit their files for information
that was required by 8(e). It provided reduced monetary
penalties for companies submitting studies that were past
the statutory submittal deadline. EPA received about
10,000 submissions under the CAP, in addition to the
approximately 400 non-CAP 8(e)s the Agency receives
each year.
The Database includes the majority of the CAP and non-
CAP submissions received after 1991. Version 1.0 of the
Database, released in October 1993, consisted of
approximately 6,000 studies which had been reviewed to
date. The most recent version of the Triage Database,
released February 1995, includes an additional 4,000
studies that have recently been reviewed by EPA for a
total of 10,000 studies. The revised version also provides
a more user-friendly installation. In addition, selected
Section 8(e) chemicals are the subject of OPPT Chemical
Fact Sheets (see page 3). These chemicals have their Fact
Sheets included in the Database to provide the user with
more information about them. As Fact Sheets for
additional 8(e) chemicals are completed, they too will be
incorporated into the Database.
To use Triage on your computer you must have the
following:
• IBM PC or compatible (286 processor or better);
• DOS Version 3.1 or higher; and
• 45 megabytes of free space on the hard drive.
EPA is considering having the third version of the 8(e)
Triage Program available on CD-ROM due to the
increased memory that will be needed to run future
versions.
To receive a copy of the most recent version (2.0) of the
8(e) Triage Program please call the TSCA Hotline at
(202) 554-1404. In addition, the Database was recently
made available through the Internet on the EPA Gopher
(address: gopher.epa.gov). Three files and instructions
on downloading the files are provided. The 8(e) Triage
files are presently found on the EPA Gopher by choosing
the following path:
EPA Offices and Regions/ Office of Prevention,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances/ Toxic Substances/
8(e) Triage Chemical Studies Database
For more information on the Triage Database, contact
Chuck Freeman at (202) 260-8918 (Internet address:
freeman.charles@epamail.epa.gov).
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
Lead in the Environment
Karen Hoffman, Chemical Management Division
bout one in eleven children in American have high
levels of lead in their blood, according to the
enters for Disease Control and Prevention. You
may have lead around your building without knowing it
because you can't see, taste or smell lead. You may have
lead in the dust, paint or soil in and around your home,
or in your drinking water or food. Because it does not
break down naturally, lead can remain a problem until it
is removed.
The long term effects of lead in a child can be severe.
They include learning disabilities, decreased growth,
hyperactivity, impaired hearing, and even brain damage.
If caught early these effects can be limited by reducing
exposure to lead or by medical treatment. There are
simple things you can do to help protect your family
from the hazards of lead poisoning. The National Lead
Information Center's hotline and clearinghouse can
provide you with useful information.
The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) is
sponsored jointly by the non-profit National Safety
Council and EPA, with support from three other federal
agencies: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), and Department of Defense. The NLIC includes
a hotline and clearinghouse which provide the general
public and professional audiences with information about
lead poisoning and prevention.
When a caller phones the 24-hour National Lead
Hotline, (1-800-LEAD-FYI), they hear a recorded
message - in either English or Spanish - asking them to
leave their name and address. Callers receive a free
packet of information including four lead fact sheets, a
list of state and local lead contacts and a pamphlet
entitled "Lead Poisoning and Your Children."
Callers with specific questions are referred to the
National Lead Clearinghouse (1-800-424-LEAD) where
they may speak with an information specialist in either
English or Spanish. Hours are Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The clearinghouse provides callers with relevant
informational materials including federal publications,
selected journal articles and updates of federal laws and
regulations. Also available is information on qualified
laboratories, referrals to federal, state and local agencies,
EPA Regional Lead Training Centers (RLTCs) and EPA
regional lead contacts.
Other services provided by the Center include a lead
education video lending library and a lead speakers
bureau for community, school or church groups. Posters
are available free of charge.
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Issue No. 1
Public Access Information
Obtaining Information on Asbestos
Robert Jordan, Chemical Management Division
E
PA's asbestos message, most dearly enunciated in
1990 and the years since, can be stated rather
simply:
Asbestos is a problem because, as a
toxic substance and a known
carcinogen, it can cause several
serious diseases in humans.
Symptoms of these diseases
typically develop over a period of
years following asbestos exposure.
Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in buildings do
not always pose a problem (that is, a hazard) to
occupants and workers in those buildings. When can
ACM become a problem? When asbestos fibers get
into the air and are inhaled; that is, when there is
human exposure.
Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials
generally do not pose a health risk. They may
become hazardous and pose increased risk when they
are damaged, are disturbed in some manner, or
deteriorate over time and thus release asbestos fibers
into building air.
EPA's asbestos program for schools (AHERA) and its
guidance for other building owners is founded
on "in-place management of ACM." This approach
is designed to keep asbestos fiber levels low by
teaching people to recognize asbestos-containing
materials and actively manage them.
In general, the Agency's major asbestos regulations were
promulgated under authority of the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA) or under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
TSCA regulations and guidance are administered and
managed by the Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT), while the CAA regulations are the
responsibility of the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR).
Information on EPA's asbestos regulations, interpretive
documents, and guidance materials are available to the
public and the regulated community through a variety
of sources.
The TSCA Assistance Information Service, (202)
554-1404, provides TSCA regulation (including asbestos)
information, copies of regulations, Agency guidance
documents, and referrals to more specific sources of
information (for example, Regional Asbestos/NESHAP
Coordinators), as needed. Homeowners can obtain a
copy of the pamphlet "Asbestos in the Home" from this
source.
The Asbestos Ombudsman Clearinghouse/Hotline, (800)
368-5888 (in the Washington metropolitan area dial
(703) 305-5938), provides general asbestos information
to the public. Operated by EPA's Small Business
Ombudsman's Office, it also assists small businesses in
complying with EPA regulations.
EPA's Public Information Center, (202) 260-2080, is an
additional information resource, although its coverage is
quite broad, and not specifically focused on asbestos
program information.
The Toxic Substances Control Act Assistance Information Service (T.A.I.S.)
Wanda Woodburn, Environmental Assistance Division
The T.A.I.S., or the "TSCA Hotline," operating
under contract to EPA, provides technical
assistance and information about programs under
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including the
Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA), the
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), and
the Lead Exposure Reduction Act.
The TSCA Hotline is staffed by professionals trained to
answer technical questions about TSCA, ASHAA,
AHERA, the Lead Exposure Reduction Act, and some
Pollution Prevention activities, including the 33/50
Program. The Hotline can be reached at (202) 554-
1404, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. (Eastern time).
The Hotline stocks TSCA-related documents, including
Federal Register notices, reports, and information
brochures and booklets. These are available free of
charge, and may be requested during business hours by
phoning the Hotline, or by fax at any time to (202) 554-
5603.
Anyone with questions about these activities may contact
the Hotline for information and assistance.
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
TRI Helps Communities Help
Themselves
Jan Erickson, Information Management Division
In 1984, a deadly cloud of methyl isocyanate killed
thousands of people in Bhopal, India. This and other
incidents underscored demands by industrial workers
and communities in several states for information on
hazardous materials. In response to rising public
concern, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requiring U.S.
manufacturers to report amounts of toxic chemicals
released into the environment. The resulting database
became known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
In keeping with Congressional intent in passing the
legislation, EPA endeavored to make the Inventory
widely available to citizens groups, labor
organizations, academia, the media
and other potential users. A
variety of information
products were developed,
ranging from printed reports
highlighting particular facets of
the Inventory to CD-ROMs and
online systems for searching, displaying,
and downloading records electronically. More recently,
TRI data has been available on the Internet. (For more
information, contact the TRI User Support Service at
(202)260-1531.)
Outreach activities, by both EPA and public interest
groups, were also very successful in raising public
awareness of TRI. Communities began to use TRI to
initiate dialogues with local facilities to encourage
manufacturers to reduce their emissions, develop
pollution prevention plans, and improve safety measures.
Labor organizers used TRI as a basis for discussions with
employers regarding safety in the work place. National,
state and local officials are now using TRI to identify the
most pressing environmental problems and set priorities
for addressing them. Most importantly, reporting
facilities themselves use the data to identify opportunities
to prevent pollution and set goals for reducing toxic
chemical emissions.
And what has been the result of all this attention? TRI
has become a powerful force for reducing pollution!
Analyses reveal that toxic chemical releases have declined
dramatically since the inception of TRI. A number of
voluntary programs for reducing chemical emissions have
sprung up at the local, state, and national levels. In
many states, TRI provided the impetus for passage of
legislation requiring facilities to engage in pollution
prevention planning. TRI was expanded to include
Federal facilities, additional chemicals, and to require
reporting of additional data.
Environmental Education Project
Kathy Hogan, Information Management Division
The Information Management Division has
launched an office wide educational strategy that
seeks to place Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT) products and services in an educational
context for students in grades seven through twelve. The
first education product, in its review and comment stage,
features the Toxics Release Inventory
(TRI) CD-ROM as its centerpiece.
In coordination with the
National Science Teachers
Association (NSTA), we are
developing a series of cross-
curriculum teachers guides and
student activities featuring the TRI
CD-ROM. This project brings together
two good objectives: The NSTA was searching for a
platform for introducing and encouraging the use of large
data banks in the classroom as a tool for education, and
OPPT has an ongoing objective to find ways of providing
meaningful public access. The use of the TRI CD-ROM
as an educational tool will satisfy both objectives, and
encourage public understanding and appreciation of the
environmental usefulness of the TRI.
In addition to the TRI CD-ROM, the educational
package under review includes a videotape presenting
several top environmental videos about on the Toxics
Release Inventory and other chemical subjects, and a
number of additional materials that highlight OPPT's
environmental protection activities. A group of educators
and other interested parties will review EPA materials
and design a cross-curriculum teaching guide and student
activities manual. The NSTA will distribute the final
product, including the teaching guide and student
manual.
For more information about OPPTs Environmental Education
project, contact Kathy Hogan at (202) 260-9349, fax: (202)
260-4659, or at U.S. EPA, OPPT (Maikode 7407), 401 M
St., SW, Washington, DC 20460.
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Issue No. 1
Public Access Information
The EPCRA Hotline: Your Source
for Information on the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-
to-Know Act
Tamara McNamara,
Environmental Assistance Division
In November of 1986, Congress enacted the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act (EPCRA), also known as Title III of the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA
Title III), to help communities prepare for chemical
emergencies and grant citizens and government officials
access to information about potential chemical hazards.
The EPCRA Hotline is a
publicly accessible service that
provides up-to-date information
on EPCRA and related
programs, such as the
Accidental Release Prevention
Provisions of the Clean Air Act.
Topics commonly addressed
planning, hazardous chemical
public access to chemical
include: emergency
inventory reporting,
information, toxic chemical release reporting, and the
toxic chemical inventory database.
The Hotline responds to factual questions regarding
EPCRA and also responds to requests for related
documents. Anyone can call the Hotline. It offers
information to a broad audience, including private
citizens. If a question is not within the scope of the
Hotline's services, the information specialists attempt to
refer the question to the appropriate service.
The Hotline can be reached by calling toll-free: 1-800-
535-0202, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. EST.
The Hotline is dosed on Federal Holidays.
Public Hotlines and
Clearinghouses referred to
in this publication
EPA Programs
Asbestos Ombudsman Clearinghouse/
Hotline, (800) 368-5888 or (703) 305-5938
Center for Environmental Research
Information (CERl)t (513) 569-7562
Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to- Know Act Hotline, (800) 535-
0202; in the Washington, DC, metropolitan
area, (703) 920-9877
Pollution Prevention information
Clearinghouse, (202) 260-1023
Public Information Center, (202) 260-2080
33/50 Program, (202)260-6907
Toxic Substances Control Act Assistance
Information Service (TSCA Hotline), (202)
554-1404
TRI User Support, (202) 260-1531
Other numbers
NationafLead Clearinghouse, (800) 424-
LEAD
National Lead Hotline, (800) LEAD-FYI
National Library of Medicine (TOXLINE),
(301) 496-6193
National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), (703) 487-4650
^
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
Voluntary Pollution Prevention Programs
The 33/50 Program
John Leitzke, Chemical Control Division
I he 33/50 Program is
an EPA voluntary
pollution prevention
initiative. It derives its name
from its overall goals - an
interim goal of a 33% reduction by 1992 and an ultimate
goal of a 50% reduction by 1995 in emissions of 17 high-
priority toxic chemicals. EPA used the 1988 Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI) reporting data as a baseline.
TRI information for 1988 indicated that 12,800 facilities
reported 1.489 billion pounds of 33/50 Program
chemicals directly released to the environment or
transferred off-site to waste management facilities. The
aim of the 33/50 Program is to reduce this 1.489 billion
pounds of pollution by at least 50% — 745 million
pounds — by 1995, with an interim target of more than
496 million pounds by 1992.
1991 TRI reporting data indicates that releases and
transfers of 33/50 Program chemicals declined by 32.8%
between 1988 and 1991, just shy of the Program's 1992
interim 33% national reduction goal a full year ahead of
schedule. By 1993 these figures had declined by 46%,
very close to the 1995 goal.
From an initial voluntary participation of several
hundred companies, the 33/50 Program now includes
over 1,200 companies, and more are being contacted and
pledging voluntarily to reduce pollution each month.
EPA has a wide range of information and services on
pollution prevention technologies including: (1) nearly
20 company profiles that summarize successful programs
at industrial facilities; (2) a generic waste reduction
manual, the Facility Pollution Prevention Guide; (3)
nearly 20 industry-specific Guides to Pollution
Prevention; (4) supplementary information in progress
reports, handbooks, reference manuals, bibliographic
reports, and videos; (5) seven Manufacturing Technology
Centers across the nation for research and training; (6) a
variety of conferences and workshops held each year; (7)
state programs for grants and awards; and (8) several
Hotlines: (a) the TSCA Hotline at (202) 544-1404, (b)
the EPA Center for Environmental Research Information
in Cincinnati, OH, at (513) 569-7562, and (c) the
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at (202)
260-1023. The Clearinghouse may also be reached using
a personal computer modem via Enviro$ense, a free
computer bulletin board system on environmental issues,
at (703) 908-2092. The 33/50 Program may also be
reached directly at (202) 260-6907.
The 17 high priority toxic chemicals included in the
33/50 Programs are: Benzene, Cadmium and compounds,
Carbon tetrachloride, Chloroform, Chromium and
compounds, Cyanides, Dichloromethane, Lead and
compounds, Mercury and compounds, Methyl ethyl
ketone, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Nickel and compounds,
Tetrachloroethylene, Toluene, 1,1,1 -Trichloroethane,
Trichloroethylene, and Xylenes.
Design for the Environment: Partnerships for a Cleaner Future
Joe Breen, Economics, Exposure and Technology Division
The Design for the Environment (DfE) Program is
a cooperative, voluntary effort by EPA, industry,
professional organizations, state and local
governments, other federal agencies (including the Small
Business Administration), and the public aimed at
developing specific pollution prevention information
primarily for small-and medium-sized businesses.
DfE is working with a number of small business-
dominated industries including printing (screen printing
and lithography), dry cleaning, and electronics/printed
wiring boards. Specifically, the DfE Program uses its
industry projects to bring together comparative
information on the environmental and human health
risks, exposures, performance and costs of alternative
1O
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Issue No. 1
Public Access Information
products and technologies so that small businesses can
make more informed environmental decisions. The DfE
Program realizes that small businesses often do not have
the resources or technical expertise to develop this kind
of technical information on their own.
DfE Screen Printing and Lithography Projects
• The screen printing sector of the printing industry is
comprised of approximately 40,000 small businesses
that employ an average of 15 people or fewer. The
lithography sector of the printing industry is
comprised of over 54,000 printers that are mostly
small- and medium-sized businesses.
• In the DfE Screen Printing and Lithography
Projects, EPA and industry are working
together to identify alternative work
practices, products, technologies,
and pollution prevention
options that are cost-effective
and safer for workers and the
environment.
• The DfE Screen Printing
Project worked with the Small
Business Administration (SBA)
and the New Jersey Small
Business Development Center
develop a pollution prevention video
for screen printers entitled, "Saving
Money and Reducing Waste."
• The video introduces screen printers to pollution
prevention concepts and provides specific,
practical information on ways that they can
incorporate pollution prevention into their
processes.
• The DfE Screen Printing and Lithography Projects
are working with SBA to facilitate the dissemination
of DfE program information through SBA networks,
especially the Small Business Development Centers.
DfE Dry Cleaning Project
• The DfE Dry Cleaning Project is working in
partnership with this small-business dominated
industry to reduce exposure to dry cleaning solvents
by working to remove barriers and create incentives
for dry cleaners to use alternative garment cleaning
methods.
To assess the viability of several alternative methods,
DfE has launched demonstration shops in three cities
- these sites will mirror typical dry cleaning shops,
but will use alternative water-based technologies
instead of solvents to clean clothes.
The demonstration shops will provide dry cleaners
with an opportunity to observe alternative cleaning
processes under long-term, "real-world", conditions.
• Performance, economic viability, and customer
satisfaction will be evaluated and a training
program will be conducted at the shops to
instruct dry cleaning professional in alternative
techniques, equipment, and quality control.
DfE Printed Wiring Board (PWB) Project
The vast majority (90%) of the
approximately 750 independent
PWB manufacturers are small
businesses with annual sales
under $10 million.
The United States' share of the
PWB market has been
declining during the last
decade, in part due to the costs
associated with more stringent
environmental regulation in
the U.S.
• The DfE PWB Project is working to identify and
evaluate substitute materials, processes, and
technologies for use in manufacturing PWBs so that
PWB manufacturers can make informed technology
choices, based on consideration of comparative risk,
performance, cost, and competitiveness.
• PWB manufacturers are highly motivated to
identify pollution prevention opportunities for
their industry and, if possible, to remove
themselves from the scope of some regulations,
particularly those that apply to hazardous
wastes.
To obtain brochures, fact sheets, and other publications on
Design for the Environment (DfE) projects, contact the
EPA Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse,
(202)260-1023.
1 1
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Chemicals in the Environment
Summer 1995
The Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
Beth Anderson, Pollution Prevention Division
The Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse (PPIC) is a free, nonregulatory
service of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency
established in response to
requirements in the Pollution
Prevention Act of 1990.
PPIC provides several
services: document
distribution, reference and
referral telephone service, and
access to a special collection
pollution prevention materials.
target federal, state, and local government agencies,
industry, and academia, and other entities involved in
pollution prevention activities.
Mailing Address:
Reference &. Referral:
Fax Number:
Internet:
of
PPIC
U.S. EPA (MC-3404)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 260-1023
(202)260-0178
ppic@epamail.epa.gov
The objectives of the clearinghouse are to reduce or
eliminate industrial pollutants through technology
transfer, education, and public awareness. PPIC services
c/EPA
vx
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
(7407)
Washington DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
Head Librarian
U.S. EPA
Region 6 Library, 6M-AI
1445 Ross Avenue, Siute 1200
First Interstate Bank Tower
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
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ANNOUNCEMENT
RELEASE OP "CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT" PUBLICATION
Summer 1995
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a wide range of
environmental information. Some of this information tells us what chemicals and pollutants
are released by industrial plants. Other information tells us about the health and
environmental effects of chemicals. Still other information tells us what chemicals people may be
exposed to.
EPA believes that it is in everyone's interest to make this information available to the public. "Public"
here includes industry, state governments, community groups, environmental groups, and, of course,
public citizens. Access to information is the best way to ensure everyone has the opportunity to
evaluate and reduce environmental and health risks.
To make this information accessible, the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) within EPA
provides a variety of information services and products. These include call-in hotlines,
publications.videos, diskettes with data, CD-ROMs, and access to on-line databases.
This publication is one way for you to find out about EPA's information products related to chemicals.
The first edition of the Chemicals in the Environment: Public Access Information provides information on a
number of major OPPT products and services that reflect the scope of our programs. Future editions
will focus on single themes. We hope to reach a wide audience to let you know what information
products are available, what they can do for you, and how to get them.
You can access "Chemicals in the Environment" by using one of the following OPPT information
services:
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Assistance Information Service Hotline
The Emergency Planning and Community
Rights to Know and Superfund Hotline
EPA Gopher Server on the Internet
Phone- (202) 554-1404
TDD- (202)554-0551
Fax- (202) 554-5603
Phone- (800) 535-0202 or
Local (703) 412-9877
Address: gopher.epa.gov under the
heading "Newsletters and Journals"
We would like to know iftftis bulletin is helpful to you. Please direct your comments or questions to
the editor, Randall Bririkmris at (202) 260-9854 or write to him at U.S. EPA, Office of Pollution
Prevention and Tories, Information Management Division (7407), 401 M Street SW, Washington DC
20460, Internet address:
brinkhuis.randall@epamail.epa.gov
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