United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington DC 20460
EPA 560-1-91-003
March 1991
THE INDUSTRIAL TOXICS PROJECT,
THE 33/50 PROGRAM:
FORGING AN ALLIANCE
FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION
Printed on Recycled Paper
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WHAT IS THE 33/50 PROGRAM
(INDUSTRIAL TOXICS PROJECT)?
The 33/50 Program (Industrial Toxics Project) is a
voluntary pollution prevention initiative that builds squarely
on the Agency's pollution prevention policies and programs.
It aims, through voluntary pollution prevention activities, to
reduce releases and off-site transfers of a targeted set of 17
chemicals from an aggregate of 1.4 billion pounds in
1988, down to 700 million pounds by 1995, a 50% overall
reduction.
Major Project Goals
The principal goals the EPA Administrator has set for
the 17 select chemicals are — an interim one-third reduction
in 1992; and a fifty percent reduction by 1995. The Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI) will be used to track these reductions,
using 1988 data as a baseline. (An 18th substance, dioxin,
is also targeted for reductions, but through a separate effort
and with different reduction goals.)
The second, and equally significant goal of the Program
is to achieve these reductions primarily through pollution
prevention practices and to encourage industry to further
develop its pollution prevention activities.
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What Are the Target Chemicals?
The 17 chemical groups are:
Benzene
Cadmium and Cadmium Compounds
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chloroform fTrichloromethane)
Chromium and Chromium Compounds
Cyanide Compounds and Hydrogen Cyanide
Lead and Lead Compounds
Mercury and Mercury Compounds
Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane)
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone
Nickel and Nickel Compounds
Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene)
Toluene
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane (Methyl Chloroform)
Trichloroethylene
Xylenes (all xylenes)
The list of chemicals is drawn from the Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI) based on recommendations by EPA program
offices and considering the following: high production; high
releases and off-site transfers relative to total production as
indicated from TRI reports; potential for pollution prevention
activities; and potential for a wide range of health and
environmental effects. For tracking purposes, each chemical
will be tracked based on the way it is listed under TRI.
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How Does the 33/50 Program Signal a New Approach?
The 33/50 Program, which is being managed by the
Special Projects Office in the Office of Toxic Substances, differs
from EPA's traditional command and control approach. The
following project description reveals these differences. The
33/50 Program is:
National In Scone. Success will be measured according to
whether reductions have been achieved nationwide, rather than
for each company or facility. The reductions will also be looked
at as an aggregate — total releases of all chemicals rather than
for each one. This provides flexibility and allows participating
companies to develop reduction strategies which are the most
cost-effective for their facilities.
Voluntary. Companies are free to decide whether or not to
participate in the program by: 1) committing to meet their own
specified reduction goals, and 2) making good faith voluntary
efforts to identify and implement cost-effective prevention
measures. Any steps taken to reduce targeted toxics will not be
enforceable, unless these activities are otherwise required by
law or regulation.
Multi-media. The reduction goals apply to total releases and
off-site transfers to air, land, and water.
Prevention-oriented. EPA's objective is to encourage these
reductions through pollution prevention. The pollution
prevention hierarchy, as established in the Pollution Prevention
Act of 1990, states that pollution should be prevented or reduced
at the source whenever feasible; this is a fundamental goal of the
project. Pollution that cannot be prevented at the source should
be recycled in an environmentally safe manner. In the absence
of feasible prevention or recycling opportunities, pollution should
be treated; disposal or other release to the environment should
be used as the last resort. Companies are encouraged to
participate, however, even if some of the reductions are achieved
through treatment.
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Releases of 33/50 Program Chemicals By Media
Total =1.4 Billion Pounds
Other Media
7.0%
Stack Air
46.0%
Percent of total Releases and Transfers
What Are the Advantages of A Voluntary Approach?
EPA's voluntary program is designed to benefit:
The Public
- By significantly reducing the amount of pollution released to the
environment.
- By getting faster reductions than might be achieved by waiting for
statutes or regulations to take effect, and by achieving permanent
solutions where source reductions occur.
Industry
- By creating clear expectations in the form of a national goal for the
targeted chemicals, and by providing the flexibility to choose cost-
effective environmental solutions which may also result in improved
efficiency and net economic benefits.
- By providing positive incentive through public recognition of its efforts,
and by working to identify regulatory barriers to pollution prevention.
EPA
- By developing an alternative to the reliance on the traditional command
and control, single media approach.
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What Is EPA Asking Companies to Do?
EPA has already contacted hundreds of companies to
provide them with information on the 33/50 Program and
continues to solicit company participation. Each company is
being asked to examine its processes to identify and implement
cost-effective pollution prevention practices related to the project
chemicals. Companies are also being asked to develop written
commitments to publicly state their reduction goals and how
they plan to achieve them. A public docket at EPA Headquarters
is being established to provide access to these written
commitment statements. The following are general guidelines
and "milestones" for what EPA is asking companies to do. While
the bulk of activities are expected to occur within the stated
timeframes, EPA realizes differences in company organizations
and capabilities may make these dates unattainable for some
companies. Information received by these dates will be used to
prepare periodic progress reports on the initial Implementation
of the program.
• May 15, 1991 - receipt of companywide quantitative
commitments by EPA
• July 30, 1991 - receipt by EPA of facility specific and
chemical specific quantitative reduction commitments
Including discussion of pollution prevention activities,
as appropriate.
• November 30, 1991 - receipt of updated information,
as needed, on company and facility specific commitments
as a result of activities with other regulatory planning
or "Toxic Use Reduction*' programs, or the "Early
Reductions" Program for the Maximum Achievable
Control Technology (MACTJ Standards under the Clean-
Air Act.
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RelotjonshiptoOtherE^
Relationship to Other EPA Programs and Offices
The 33/50 Program (Industrial Toxics Project) is part of
the Agency's overall Pollution Prevention Strategy and the first
of its new pollution prevention initiatives. It is also a major
component of the Office of Toxic Substances' Existing Chemicals
Revitalization Program.
As has previously been stated, the 33/50 Program will use
EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) to track emissions
reductions. Addition of new TRI reporting elements required by
the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 will also provide valuable
information for evaluating progress and the utilization of
pollution prevention for the project chemicals.
Although all of the 33/50 Program chemicals are
regulated under one or more existing environmental statutes, it
is important to note that the ITP is a voluntary activity which is
intended to complement, not replace, on-going Agency
programs. One area of complementary activity is the Clean Air
Program. All of the project chemicals will be subject to the
"Maximum Achievable Control Technology" (MACT) standards
of the new Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA believes this incentive for
early reductions may benefit the 33/50 Program in achieving its
reduction goals. It should also be noted, however, that any
commitments that companies make under the Clean Air
program are enforceable, and must conform to relevant
provisions of the CAA and its implementing regulations. Not all
reductions made for the 33/50 Program will entitle companies
to CAA credit, although the Agency will work toward maximizing
the overlap.
Enforcement is another area where there is potential for
overlap. However, nothing in the 33/50 Program is intended
to interfere with on-going enforcement or permitting activities
related to the project chemicals. Conversely, participation in the
33/50 Program is not intended as a basis for any company or
facility-specific increased enforcement activity. Because it is a
strictly voluntary program, companies that elect not to
participate will not be penalized in any way by EPA.
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1988 TRI Releases/Transfers of Project Chemicals
Top 100 Counties
V
Roles of EPA Regional Offices and States
A critical role in the implementation of the 33/50 Program
will be played by EPA's Regional Offices, and with them,
interested States. During the initial phase, Regions will work
with specific companies and facilities to encourage companies to
participate in this initiative and to provide written reduction
commitments. (While early participation is encouraged,
companies can continue to "sign on" at any point during the
project.)
The next focus of activity will be implementation of the
reduction commitments by companies and facilities. While
facility plans developed to meet state toxics use reduction
requirements can be used for the 33/50 Program, reduction
commitments made for the 33/50 Program are not meant to
preempt any state requirements. Regions, in partnership with
interested States, will play an essential outreach role throughout
the project including identifying potential obstacles, technical
assistance needs, areas of possible duplication, and areas of
significant success. These activities will continue toward the
target of 50% aggregate national reductions by 1995, and
toward the larger goal of fostering a national pollution prevention
ethic and a cleaner environment.
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How to Get More Information
For additional copies of this brochure or other 33/50
documents, fax your request to the TSCA Assistance Service at
(202) 554-5603. For more information on the 33/50 Program,
contact the TSCA Hotline at (202) 554-1404, (8:30 am to
4:00 pm), or the Regional Coordinator for your Region:
Region 1
Dwight Peavey. (617) 565-4502
(Massachusetts, Maine, Con-
necticut, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Vermont)
Region 2
Barbara Metzger (201) 321-6754
(New Jersey, New York, Puerto
Rico, Virgin Islands)
Region 3
Bill Reilly. (215) 597-9390
(Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylva-
nia. Virginia, West Virginia,
District of Columbia)
Region 4
Carlton Hailey, (404) 347-1033
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee)
Region 5
Tony Restaino, (312) 886-6018
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Region 6
Bob Murphy, (214) 655-7235
(Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Region 7
Carl Walter, (913) 551-7020
(Iowa, Kansas. Missouri,
Nebraska)
Region 8
Diane Groh, (303) 293-1735
(Colorado, Montana. North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming)
Region 9
Donna Deneen,
(415)744-1123
(Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Nevada, American Samoa,
Guam, Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands)
Region 1O
Ken Feigner, (206) 553-1198
(Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,
Washington)
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