United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Environmental
Information
(2844)
EPA745-F-00-004
January 2001
EPA Announces New Toxics Release Inventory Reporting
Requirements for Lead and Lead Compounds
New Rule Effective January 2001
In January 2001 EPA issued a final rule under section
313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right
to Know Act (EPCRA) which lowers the Toxics
Release Inventory (TRI) reporting thresholds for lead
and lead compounds. The rule is part of the Agency's
effort to expand the public' s right to know about toxic
chemicals-particularly persistent, bioaccumulative,
toxic chemicals in their communities.
Persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) chemicals are
of concern not only because they are toxic, but also
because they remain in the environment for long
periods of time, are not readily destroyed, and build
up or accumulate in body tissue. Lead and lead
compounds are a particular concern because of their
toxicity in children. Children and developing fetuses
are known to absorb lead more readily than adults,
and, once in the body, lead is distributed to the blood,
soft tissue, and bone. Children exposed to lead can
suffer from damage to the brain and central nervous
system, slow growth, hyperactivity, andbehavior and
learning problems. Adults exposed to lead can suffer
difficulties during pregnancy, high blood pressure,
nervous disorders, and memory and concentration
problems.
Currently, facilities are not required to report their
lead and lead compound releases to the air, water and
land unless they manufacture or process more than
25,000 pounds annually or use more than 10,000
pounds annually. These high thresholds severely
limit the information on lead and lead compounds
available to communities. The new rule lowers the
annual reporting threshold to 100 pounds.
In October, 1999 EPA published a final rule under
Section 313 of EPCRA which adds certain PBT
chemicals to the list of chemicals reportable under
TRI, and which lowers reporting thresholds for certain
PBT chemicals. This rule supplements that action.
Like the October, 1999 PBT rule this rule includes
modifications to certain existing reporting exemptions
and requirements for lead and lead compounds.
The new requirements apply for TRI reports
on releases and other waste management for the
year 2001, which must be submitted to the Agency
and states by July 1, 2002.
Copies of the rule can be obtained from the EPA TRI
homepage at www.epa.gov/tri.
WHAT IS TRI AND HOW CAN I
OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION?
The Toxics Release Inventory Program was
established under section 313 of the Community
Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA). It requires
certain facilities in covered industry sectors to report
their releases of certain toxic chemicals to the state
and federal governments if they manufacture,
process, or otherwise use more than established
threshold quantities of TRI-listed chemicals. For
more information on TRI, including covered
chemicals, covered industry sectors, guidance
and other information see the TRI homepage at
http://www.epa.gov/tri. For specific questions
regarding reporting under TRI, including
questions concerning whether or not you need to
report, contact the EPCRA hotline at 1-800-535-
0202, in Virginia and Alaska: 703-412-9877 or
toll free TDD: 1-800-553-7672.
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Proection Agency
(2844)
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