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Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PbT) Chemical
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First Annual 1999 Accomplishments Report
First Annual 1999 Accomplishments Report
EPA's Agency-wide Multimedia Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic
Pollutants Initiative
1999 Accomplishments
Report
First Annual Edition
EPA 742-R-00-003
July 2000
Introduction
In continuing its mission of protecting human health and the environment, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic
(PBT) Pollutants Initiative in November 1998. The PBT Initiative is an integrated approach for
addressing widespread problems associated with toxic chemicals that persist and
bioaccumulate in the environment. This Report will demonstrate the Agency's PBT
commitment by summarizing accomplishments made in the areas of "Actions," "Policy," and
"Science" in 1999. The report strives for a balance between accounting for progress on
integrating the Agency's various PBT activities and illustrating how this process of increasing
integration produces better results.
Pollutants such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and some pesticides have
persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic characteristics and pose significant health and
environmental concerns. Challenges in controlling pollutants with these characteristics result
from their ability to transfer rather easily among air, water, and land, and to travel long
distances. Once ingested by fish, birds, or mammals, many of these substances
bioaccumulate, leading to body burdens far in excess of levels found in the environment.
With frequent exposure over time, the amount present
in organisms' tissues can build up and cause toxic
effects. In humans, effects include nervous system
abnormalities, reproductive and developmental
problems, cancer, and genetic impacts. Young children
and developing fetuses are especially at high risk.
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Over the years, a substantial amount of work has been done by federal and state regulatory
agencies, industry, environmental and public health groups, and the scientific community to
reduce the risk associated with these pollutants. However, the following examples illustrate
the current imperative to continue to take action. Studies have been conducted worldwide to
understand more fully the impacts of PBTs on human health and the environment. We have
chosen to summarize some of these major findings in two large geographic areas.
Most PBT pollutant releases occur between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer where
the majority of industrialized nations are located. In this area, known as the North
Temperate Zone, the general population has detectable levels of dioxin in their bodies as a
result of eating contaminated meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. EPA's draft dioxin
reassessment (1994) estimated cancer risk to the U.S. population from this background
exposure to be in the 1:10,000 to 1:1,000 range. Dioxin exposure is approaching levels
associated with adverse non-cancer effects (NHANES). Also, about 25 percent of children and
nine percent of the general U.S. population are exposed to a level of methylmercury that
exceeds the current EPA Reference Dose. Those who rely on fish as a main source of food
have even higher PBT body burden levels. U.S. tribes tell the EPA that contamination of
subsistence foods is their main concern.
In the Arctic Zone, located
north of the Arctic Circle and
centered on the North Pole,
PBTs are present due to long-
range transport from
industrialized nations and
exposure of migrating
species. PBT levels are
substantial in the Arctic Zone
and PBTs persist longer there
because of the low
temperatures. Levels of PBTs
are expected to rise in the
Arctic due to increased local
and southeast Asian
industrialization. Global
distillation alone means
decades more of PBT
pollutants entering this area
(Bard 1999).
International PBT
Considerations
PBTs.in Waste
Regional & Local
PBT Actions
Citizen group
PBT priorities
"Itis very important tfi&ttfie Agency
use iafijH complement of tools to
address priority FBTs. {Therefore,JI
wsntto ensure trt&tour current
research, regulatory, voluntary,
pollution pretention, public
information, enforcementand
international abends support the
development and implementation of
action plans for ifie persistunt
bioaccumulative and toxic substsnces
tsrgetedin the Binational Strategy
and identified by the PBT Strategy. " -
E PA Adtr&nistra tor Ci ml Browner,
April?. 1999
Industry PDT
Priorities
PBTs in
Agriculture
PBT Screening & Monitoring
PBTs in Water
For many Arctic tribes, PBT contamination of subsistence foods is linked to their long term
survival. PBT exposures are aggravated by the fact that high-food-chain meats are their
major source of protein. Extensive recent Canadian research suggests Alaskan wildlife has
high PBT levels. If confirmed, most animal protein sources are in question. Often, for many of
these populations there is no alternative but to eat contaminated food. (Alaskan and Arctic
Fish and Wildlife database, 1998 AMAP)
Some marine mammal and bird populations are experiencing disease, reproductive
problems, and population declines, probably in whole or in part due to contamination from
PBT pollutants. A review on harbour porpoises indicates that levels of organochlorines,
especially PCBs, are high enough to cause concern about maintaining the population (Aguilar
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and Bornell 1995). Free-ranging orca whales along the Pacific Northwest coast have PCB
levels four to five times higher than highly-PCB-polluted St. Lawrence beluga whales, who
themselves have serious health problems. Canadian Arctic whales are providing the first
statistical inference that PBT (specifically, PCB) levels in Arctic species relate to subtle health
effects. (Lockhart 1995, AMAP 1998). A 1998 study by the International Whaling Commission
determined levels of contamination among some marine mammals are so high that the
animals would be classified as hazardous waste sites if they were on land.
Integrating PBT Efforts at EPA: Action, Policy and Science
Like other environmental departments around the world, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has learned, little by little over time, that the impacts of PBT contamination
have not been, and could not have been, entirely addressed by single-medium approaches or
by a singularly domestic approach. Addressing PBT contamination requires a perspective that
cuts across environmental media and geographic boundaries. Therefore, EPA continues to
stay the course announced in its November 1998 draft PBT Strategy: that of taking an
increasingly holistic and integrated approach to addressing PBT contamination.
EPA's PBT effort will be accomplished by using all of the tools available to the Agency
regulatory, compliance, enforcement, research, voluntary actions, and international
negotiations. The effort also stresses a preventive approach, but recognizes that in some
situations, treatment and remediation will also be required.
EPA's commitment to addressing PBT contamination implies a dual obligation: (1) to account
for the many significant areas of Agency activity that are being integrated or need to be
integrated, and (2) to clarify how this process of increasing integration produces better
results. In numerous instances, EPA began integrating certain PBT activities several years
ago. The increasingly larger scale on which this is being attempted presents a constant
challenge to the Agency.
Being the first year of the Initiative, many of the activities in this Report are new and/or
ongoing and so have not yet produced formal, quantifiable results. However, these planning,
integration, and development efforts have been included in order to recognize their value to
the Initiative in 1999 and beyond. Future editions of the Report will undoubtedly have a
greater emphasis on outcomes. It is also important to note, that this Report does not attempt
to capture each and every accomplishment made by the Agency and its Regions with regard
to PBT pollutants. Rather, it is our hope that the following accomplishments demonstrate that
the PBT Initiative is making great strides in further integrating the Agency's efforts -- a new
way of doing business.
The draft Multimedia Strategy for Priority PBT
Pollutants, published by EPA in November 1998
(abbreviated as "the PBT Strategy"), describes how the
Agency plans to reduce PBTs in the nation by
integrating and coordinating its PBT activities. In
functional terms, "PBT Strategy" can be used
interchangeably with "PBT Initiative."
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Building on a Strong Foundation of Existing Agency
Programs and Activities
The PBT Initiative reinforces and builds on a long-standing EPA commitment over a 25
year period to control, remediate and prevent releases of PBTs. Many of these activities
stem from the Agency's major media-specific authorities. Others stem from recognition
that media-specific activities alone cannot fully address this critical problem. Current
programs and activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
* The Office of Solid Waste's Waste Minimization Program, focused on PBTs in
hazardous waste
Fhttp://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/index. html
* The Office of Air and Radiation's (OAR) Urban Air Toxics Program
rhttp://www.epa.qov/ttn/uatw/1
The Office of Water's (OW) Clean Water Action Plan
rhttp://www.cleanwater.qov/1
* The Great Waters Program, involving both OAR and OW
rhttp://www.epa.gov/airprogm/oar/oagps/gr8water/1
The Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances' (OPPTS) PCB
Program
rhttp://www.epa.qov/oppt/pcb/1
* Cross-Agency task forces on lead, mercury, and dioxin
* Canada-U.S. Binational Toxics Strategy, managed by EPA Region V's Great
Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) rhttp://www.epa.qov/qlnpo/bns/1
* Other International agreements, involving both the Office of International
Activities (OIA) and OPPTS, such as the Northern American Agreement on
Environmental Cooperation and continuing negotiations on Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs)
Fhttp://www.epa.qov/international/index.htmll
Actions
This section highlights the major activities the Agency implemented in 1999 to address PBTs
and to reduce their production, use, and releases nationwide. Given EPA's mission, the
Agency's work tends to fall into certain categories activities focused on a single chemical or
cluster of chemicals (chemical-based), those focused on a geographic area (place-based),
and activities focused on an industrial or commercial sector (sector-based) reflecting the
Agency's interest in contaminants or other environmental stressors and its relationship with
the public. Accordingly, this Report discusses actions in all three categories. Monitoring of
PBTs is addressed in a separate category, since it affects and supports the other three.
Chemical-Based Actions
Lower PBT Reporting Thresholds Finalized under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). On
October 29, 1999 EPA published a final rule that added seven chemicals and two chemical
compound categories to the list of chemicals subject to reporting under section 313 of the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and section 6607 of
the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA).
Additionally, TRI reporting thresholds
were lowered for 18 PBT chemicals and
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chemical categories. The rule also
included a special, lower, reporting
threshold of 0.1 grams for dioxin and
dioxin-like compounds, and modified
certain reporting exemptions and
requirements for chemicals newly
subject to lower reporting thresholds.
This rule will give people more
information about PBT releases in their
communities.
Reviewing Chemical Pre-manufacturing Notices under the new TSCA PBT Policy. As
of November 1999, the Agency began screening the pre-manufacturing data on new
chemicals that industry submits to EPA for evidence of PBT chemical characteristics. This
additional level of screening conducted pursuant to EPA's new Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA) Policy Statement described on page nine of this Report resulted in EPA
identifying 36 new chemicals as potential PBTs and issuing consent orders on 13 of these
substances. Permissible control actions range from banning production to prohibiting certain
uses and releases, pending development of further data.
Developing a Publicly-Available PBT Screening Tool. Since 1997, EPA has been working
on a screening tool that companies could use to evaluate the PBT characteristics of chemicals
they may make or use for one purpose or another. This amounts to EPA publicly sharing its
tools for analyzing chemical properties based on chemical structure, so industry can choose
chemicals at the process design stage that are more benign. During 1999, EPA beta-tested
this "PBT Profiler" tool with several corporations and received very positive feedback.
Collecting, Labeling, and Legislating on Mercury-in-Products. Under the PBTI, EPA
awarded a 1999 grant to the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA)
to report on state efforts to collect mercury-containing products for disposal (to prevent
unintentional releases), to launch or implement mercury-labeling programs, and to draft
mercury-in-products legislation. EPA Region I also worked on developing case studies at
federal facilities for identifying mercury containing-products.
Rewarding Lower-Risk Chemical Alternatives to PBTs. In
1999, EPA presented a Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge Award to Dow AgroSciences LLC for a new
natural insect control product. This award recognizes
outstanding chemical technologies that incorporate more
environmentally-friendly principles into chemical design,
manufacture, and use. Called Spinosad, Dow's product
does not leach, volatilize, bioaccumulate, or persist in the
environment.
Rewarding PBT Emissions Reductions. EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW) and the
National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) entered into a partnership to distribute the
MVP2 /PBT Cup Awards. The MVP2/PBT Cup Awards go to companies that reduce PBT
releases through innovative means. Awards are judged on five broad criteria, including:
innovation, measurable results, transferability, commitment, and optimization of available
project resources.
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Reducing Mercury Emissions from Municipal and Medical Waste. Municipal Waste
Combustors (MWC) and Medical Waste Incinerators (MWI) accounted for approximately 30
percent of the nation's mercury emissions into the air in 1994. The EPA established Maximum
Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules for large MWCs in 1995 and for MWIs in 1997.
These rules, when fully implemented, should reduce mercury emissions from these sources
by at least 90 percent and will result in more than a 95-percent reduction in dioxin/furan
emissions. Facilities must be in compliance with the rules for large MWCs by December 2000
and for MWIs by September 2002. By the end of 1999, control retrofits were either
completed or underway at all large MWCs. On August 30, 1999, EPA proposed rules to
control small MWCs, and expects to finalize them in 2000.
Re-evaluating RCRA Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) for Mercury-Bearing
Hazardous Wastes. Existing LDR treatment standards applicable to mercury-bearing wastes
require recovery and recycling of mercury or incineration, depending on the waste stream.
On May 28, 1999, EPA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to
mark the beginning of its comprehensive reevaluation of these treatment standards, and to
note associated issues, options, and data needs. EPA is evaluating: (1) the effect of reducing
the number of waste types to be incinerated; (2) the environmental advantages of allowing
direct treatment for disposal where secondary production exceeds demand; (3) whether
thermal recovery is being required for wastes where this treatment is inappropriate; (4)
mercury retorting emissions; and, (5) incentives for reducing mercury in hazardous waste.
The ANPRM comment period ended in August 1999. In 2000, EPA anticipates reviewing public
comment and examining treatability studies conducted by EPA and the U.S. Department of
Energy.
Minimizing Open Barrel Burning to Reduce Dioxin Emissions. According to recent EPA
studies, burning household trash in backyard barrels is a significant source of dioxin/furan
emissions. Through the PBTI, EPA awarded a 1999 grant to the Western Lake Superior
Sanitary District to work collaboratively on a regional basis to help communities reduce
garbage burning. Upon completion, the information can be shared nationwide. Under another
EPA grant, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is developing and delivering to
schools a curriculum on alternatives to open burning. Agency surveys indicate an estimated
20 million people in rural areas burn trash in their backyards.
Collecting Pesticides through State Clean Sweep Programs. Nearly half of the states
operate "Clean Sweep" programs to help farmers and, in some cases, citizens and
businesses, dispose of waste pesticides. In addition, many local governments conduct
household hazardous waste collection programs to facilitate the disposal of unwanted
chemicals, including pesticides. Some of the PBT chemicals removed through Clean Sweep
programs include pesticides like aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, chlordane, and products containing
mercury.
In 1999, EPA provided incremental funding to four
existing Clean Sweep programs for pilot projects
to facilitate the collection of data on the quantities
of specific pesticides collected. Using this
information, EPA is currently preparing a report on
the status and success of Clean Sweep programs
nationwide and will promote these programs by
publicizing their success and providing information
on the many different ways to start, operate, and
fund them.
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Reducing PBT Waste Generation. EPA awarded several 1999 grants to research and promote
PBT waste generation reductions. North Carolina, for example, is focusing on the
identification of PBT generators and training state hazardous waste program staff on PBT
reduction techniques and OSW's Waste Minimization Prioritization Tool (WMPT).
Sector Based Actions
Partnering with Industrial Boilers. EPA issued a grant under the PBTI to the Delta
Institute to develop a partnership with the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners. The Institute
will then work with one or several of the industries to develop ways to boost energy efficiency
and cut toxic chemical use and discharge. This effort is a collaboration with the Department
of Energy. The critical substances targeted include mercury, cadmium, PCBs, dioxins/furans
and hexachlorobenzene.
Air Data Collection/Analysis at Electric Utilities. In 1999, EPA began collecting
information to better understand mercury emissions from coal-fired, electric power plants.
This collection effort includes data from coal sampling as well as stack tests. EPA intends to
complete the information collection by Summer 2000, and will then begin analysis to
determine the amount and species of mercury emissions from these plants.
Phasing Down PCBs in Great Lakes Utilities. In 1999, representatives of EPA Region 5,
and EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance met with the region's major
utilities to discuss the PCB Phasedown Program, currently a pilot project with utilities in
Region 5. It provides an incentive for facilities to commit to removing their remaining PCB
equipment, including public recognition and consideration of PCB removal efforts during
settlement of enforcement actions. Utilities in the region are making efforts to phasedown
PCB transformers and capacitors.
Partnering with Steel Facilities. In 1998, under the Binational Toxics Strategy, three
Indiana steel facilities -- Bethlehem Steel Burns Harbor, Ispat Inland Inc. Indiana Harbor
Works, and U.S. Steel Gary Works signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
EPA to reduce the use of mercury at their facilities through pollution prevention. The PBTI
was instrumental in implementing this MOU. In 1999, as a part of this agreement, the
companies developed an inventory of mercury sources and are now working on a reduction
strategy. The expectation is that lessons learned there can be shared with others in the
industry.
Working with the Chlor-alkali Sector. In 1998, the Agency received a commitment from
the Chlor-alkali sector of the chemical industry to cut mercury use 50 percent by 2005. On
August 31, 1999, EPA's Region 5 met with representatives of industry, government, and
academia to plan a Mercury Emissions Study at an Olin Chlor-alkali Facility in Georgia. The
Region 5 study will also identify methods for reducing mercury emissions at other chlor-alkali
facilities.
Partnering with Hospitals. On June 24, 1998, the American Hospital Association (AHA)
and the EPA, in consultation with Healthcare Without Harm, a group representing 80 non-
governmental organizations, reached a landmark agreement with the goal of virtually
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eliminating mercury-containing waste from hospital waste streams by the year 2005. In
1999, EPA launched a formal program, founded on this agreement and facilitated by the
PBTI, called Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E).
In March 1999, the H2E program received
Vice President Gore's Hammer Award for
excellence in government innovation. This
partnership expects to complete the
drafting of educational material by Summer
2000 and begin implementing educational
courses on waste reduction later in the
year.
Awarding Grants to Assist Health Care Facilities. An EPA Environmental Justice for
Pollution Prevention grant to the St. Clair County Health Department will promote pollution
prevention in health care facilities in the East St. Louis area and surrounding communities,
with an emphasis on eliminating mercury-containing products and waste streams. The St.
Clair County Health Department will establish a model facility, disseminate information to
promote mercury reduction, assist facilities with mercury reduction and pollution prevention
practices, develop case studies of successful programs at healthcare facilities, and encourage
the development of pollution prevention and waste minimization plans.
Many states, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and California, have also
been focusing on reducing mercury and other toxics in hospital waste streams with EPA
funding. Activities include on-site assessments of participating hospitals and developing and
implementing training curricula, checklists, case studies, and outreach materials for hospital
staff.
Significant Reductions Achieved Through Compliance/Enforcement Efforts.
Continuing federal compliance/enforcement efforts for major regulations addressing PBTs,
along with on-going support to states, has yielded PBT reductions via increased compliance
and deterrence of violations. Case settlements and Supplemental Environmental Projects
(SEPs) in 1999 have resulted in additional reductions of: 129 million pounds of PCB waste;
573 million pounds of soil contaminated with dioxin/lead/arsenic; and four million pounds of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Place-Based Actions
Mixing Zone Guidance for the Great Lakes. On September 24, 1999, EPA Administrator
Carol Browner proposed to phase-out the discharges of "bioaccumulative chemicals of
concern" (BCCs, another term for PBTs) into "mixing zones"(areas of the Great Lakes where
discharges of toxic chemicals are allowed to mix with receiving waters and dilute). New
discharges of BCCs, including mercury, PCBs, dioxin, chlordane, DDT, and mirex, would be
prohibited and phased-out over the next 10 years.
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
have already eliminated mixing zones for
PBTs in the Great Lakes Basin. Browner's
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proposal would ensure that mixing zones for
BCCs in the Great Lakes Basin are also
prohibited in Illinois, New York, Ohio and
Pennsylvania. EPA anticipates that the
proposal will reduce mercury from direct
water discharges (like outfall pipes) into the
Great Lakes by up to 90 percent.
Phasing Out DDT in Mexico. Transboundary air deposition of DDT in the United States and
Canada coming in from Mexico has been an issue of concern for several years. In 1999,
Mexico stopped using DDT altogether, reserving only the limited right to use DDT in severe
malaria control emergencies. The efforts of the three countries, through the North American
Commission on Environmental Cooperation, are now evolving toward developing sustainable
malaria control practices for Mexico. Then, Mexico can share its results with other Central
American countries.
Phasing-out of PCBs in Russia. In March 1999, the eight Arctic countries (Canada,
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States)
commenced an initiative to expedite the phase-out of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the
Russian Federation. This initiative, proposed and organized by EPA's Office of International
Activities with funding from the PBTI, is expected to result in reducing transboundary impacts
on the Arctic environment. The initiative started in 1999 with the development of a first-ever
inventory of PCBs in Russia. Once this inventory is completed in 2000 the initiative will
commence work on feasibility studies of possible PCB phase-out/conversion projects in high
priority sectors (e.g., electric utilities). Ultimately, the initiative will undertake pilot
demonstrations of PCB replacements in priority-use sectors, as well as explore ways to
further develop environmentally-sound disposal practices in Russia. It is expected that this
multilateral effort will further encourage the Russian Federation to become a party to the
Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) Protocol on Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs), as well as the UNEP POPs Convention now under negotiation.
Monitoring
Developing a NARAP for Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Pursuant to a
Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) council resolution in June 1999, a North
American Regional Action Plan (NARAP) on environmental monitoring and assessment for
priority chemicals is being developed. It will likely focus on identifying a network of reference
sites, with an emphasis on atmospheric deposition, fate, transport and effects in receiving
ecosystems; and, addressing the human health dimension of exposure to chemicals.
Assisting in the Development of Surveys. EPA contributes funds to Health and Human
Services (HHS) to develop National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to
analyze the U.S. population for various PBTs. In 1999, EPA succeeded in having mercury
added to the NHANES parameter list.
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Conducting a Fish Tissue Survey. In 1999, EPA
began a long-term study, with funding from the
PBTI, on Chemical Residues in Fish. The study,
organized and managed by the Office of Water,
will provide information on fish tissue levels of
toxic bioaccumulative contaminants in lakes
throughout the contiguous U.S.
The Agency consulted with states, tribes, other federal agencies, and the PBTI Plenary Group
to design the survey and to select the PBT chemicals for analysis. By providing for collection
of samples through grants, this study will also enhance state and tribal data monitoring
capabilities. EPA will make data available to states, tribes, and Agency programs to help
them evaluate, prioritize, and target pollution prevention, abatement, remediation, and
control efforts. The data will highlight specific PBTs that need to be addressed and the
locations of contaminants.
Monitoring Fetal Cord Blood. In 1999, EPA's OIA and the Office of Children's Health, in
coordination with the Center for Disease Control and a variety of other partners, launched a
project to monitor the umbilical cord blood and maternal blood of indigenous coastal Alaska
groups.
The program, which focuses on blood levels of
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including PCB
congeners, was developed in response to Alaska
native concerns about the effects of contaminants
accumulating in subsistence foods in the Arctic. It
is OIA's hope to collaborate with other Arctic
nations in extending this effort to other native
groups in the eastern seaboard of Russia and
elsewhere. These findings will be a valuable
complement to NHANES and other indicators of
the eventual results of PBT control actions
undertaken by EPA and its partners.
Florida Everglades Long-Range Transport. In 1999, EPA's OIA and Office of Research
and Development (ORD) began planning mercury monitoring efforts in the Florida
Everglades. At present, there is controversy about whether local sources of mercury
predominate or whether large amounts of mercury may be carried via trade winds from
Africa and Europe. In 1999, mercury speciation equipment was purchased and installed. By
the end of 2000, EPA expects to report on the initial results of aircraft flight monitoring and
ground sampling. This study will provide the first reliable data on the amount and origin of
sources of long-range transport of mercury in South Florida.
Barrow, Alaska Long-Range Transport and Arctic Sunrise Evaluation. In September
1999, EPA's OIA and ORD began to set into place and to test the first speciated mercury
analytical equipment at the NOAA/ORD Point Barrow, Alaska atmospheric mercury monitoring
station. Speciated mercury analysis will enable EPA and its partners, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Energy, and Canada, to better
understand the unique behavior and transport of atmospheric mercury under Arctic
conditions. This is the first time speciated mercury measurements have been made in the
U.S. Arctic. In particular, EPA will obtain data to help determine the potential for long-range
transport of mercury to that location from, for example, Asia or Russia. Additionally, EPA will
gain the data necessary to understand the processes associated with the Arctic Sunrise
phenomenon. This is a newly discovered atmospheric mercury depletion event in early
Spring, where mercury leaves the vapor phase and is thought to enter a particulate phase
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whence it can be deposited and perhaps more readily enter the food chain.
Supporting Monitoring Efforts in Maine. In 1999, EPA's Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance funded a grant under the PBTI to the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection to reduce PBTs in the state. Highlights of this project include
multimedia data collection and analysis in partnership with the University of Maine to
benchmark monitoring efforts, sector-based analysis of mercury sources and targeted on-site
multimedia compliance and pollution-prevention efforts. Appropriate enforcement responses
will also be incorporated to bring entities into compliance when assistance efforts are
inappropriate.
Policy
This section identifies policies, strategies or procedures intended to guide the Agency's
thinking about how PBTs should be viewed and encourages the integration of PBTs
throughout new and existing EPA programs.
Preventing the Introduction of New PBT Chemicals. One of the first steps the Agency
took under the PBT Initiative was to exercise its authority under the TSCA to prevent
additional PBTs from entering commerce. In November 1999, EPA issued a policy statement
under TSCA establishing a category for new persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT)
substances. This policy statement defined PBTs and stated that EPA will require additional
testing and review of chemical substances that fall under this definition. Action taken under
this policy is reported under "Actions," on page five.
The Agency also took the first steps to establish a similar policy under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that will strengthen EPA's screening
policies for pesticides submitted for registration. Screening efforts for pesticides are
continuing in 2000.
Setting Agency PBT Priorities. In 1999, EPA advanced work on its PBT Strategy and
corresponding PBT Initiative. The Agency made a consistent effort in 1999 to tackle some of
the challenging issues raised in public comment, working across programs on priority-setting
and milestones via the EPA Office Directors' Multimedia and Pollution Prevention (M2P2)
Forum, representing about 15 Agency national program offices and Agency regions.
The M2P2 Forum's initial efforts will be
,, expressed, in Fall 2000, in the revised PBT
Strategy, draft national action plans, the
revised mercury Action Plan, and a five-year
PBT Initiative internal planning document.
EPA's OSW will also publish a revised
L multimedia list of PBT chemicals beyond those
addressed in National Action Plans to
encourage voluntary reductions in PBT
chemical releases.
Interim PBT Goal. While the PBTI has a long-term goal of further reducing risk to human
health and the environment from existing and future exposure to priority PBT pollutants, the
Agency recognized internally, in 1999, that working with certain populations on contaminated
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food concerns is an important interim goal. Indeed, even if all PBT releases ceased worldwide
today, existing PBT contamination and the continuing global distribution of these
contaminants would present subsistence food concerns for years to come.
Aligning PBT Monitoring and Measurement Programs. As a result of PBTI integration
efforts, the Agency took note at the end of 1999 of the wide perception among federal, state,
and international agencies and organizations that a network of monitoring efforts on PBTs is
needed, and that no single organization or agency has the funds to pay for these efforts. As a
matter of policy, EPA is exploring in 2000 how the Agency might work with other
governmental entities on connecting and leveraging efforts to accelerate PBT monitoring. See
the "Actions" section of this report for the specific monitoring activities that took place in
1999.
Revising the Draft Mercury Action Plan. Based on public comments received on the draft
Mercury Action Plan, the Agency spent much of 1999 prioritizing its activities on mercury.
This effort will be reflected in the Final Mercury Action Plan to be released in Fall 2000.
Drafting National Action Plans. As indicated in the PBT Strategy, EPA is committed to
developing National Action Plans for 12 priority PBTs. In 1999, the Agency began work on all
action plans with active participation from both industry and environmental groups. Dioxin
work focused on wrapping up the Agency Dioxin Reassessment. Agency-wide PBTI chemical-
specific workgroups worked on these action plans in close coordination with the parallel
chemical-specific workgroups supporting U.S. and Canadian implementation of the Binational
Toxics Strategy (BINS), which focuses on the same pollutants.
EPA's First 12 Priority PBT Pollutants:
aldrin/dieldrin octachlorostyrene
DDT, DDD, and DDE benzo(a)pyrene
mirex alkyl-lead
toxaphene mercury & compounds
hexachlorobenzene PCBs
chlordane dioxins & furans
The preliminary stakeholder review of the initial alkyl-lead, octachlorostyrene, pesticides
(aldrin/ dieldrin, DDT, mirex, toxaphene, hexachlorobenzene, and chlordane) and PCB draft
plans provided valuable comments, and the Agency will again use preliminary stakeholder
review in 2000 for the remaining draft action plans. The Agency plans to release all draft
action plans for full public comment in late Summer/Fall 2000.
Cross-Cutting Issues from Action Plans. At the very close of 1999, EPA flagged several
issues that the Agency could consider on a cross-cutting basis, rather than action plan by
action plan. These areas are: (1) looking at collective monitoring needs for multiple PBTs, (2)
communicating with subpopulations concerned about or that need to be informed about
contaminated subsistence foods, and (3) focusing on "place-based" actions.
Science
An important part of many EPA programs is to continually evaluate emerging scientific data
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on changes in the environment and analyze their implications for existing EPA policies and
actions. These data show that the extent and longevity of PBT pollutants, with their
corresponding impact on human and wildlife populations, makes this contamination a global
environmental problem of continuing urgency.
In 1999, Agency efforts to better integrate its PBT work were demonstrated in several areas
of scientific activity. This section identifies activities throughout the Agency that promote
scientific research, the development of tools to identify, detect, monitor and measure PBTs as
well as opportunities to foster the exchange of emerging scientific information on PBTs.
Selecting Additional Priority PBTs. In 1999, the Agency developed an integrated
approach for selecting priority PBTs for purposes of the Waste Minimization National Plan and
the PBT Initiative overall. The approach reflects consistent use of scientific information and
PBT evaluation criteria by all of EPA's program offices. The results of these integrated efforts
will be published in Fall 2000.
Mercury Research Strategy. In 1999, led by the Office of Research and Development
(ORD), EPA drafted a strategy to help guide its mercury research program for the coming five
years (2000-2004). The Mercury Research Strategy targets four areas for attention: human
health effects and exposure; ecological health effects and exposure; atmospheric, terrestrial,
and aquatic transport, transformation, and fate; and risk management for combustion and
non-combustion sources. The draft Mercury Research Strategy was submitted for peer review
in early 2000 and is targeted for publication by the end of the year. A multi-year
implementation plan is scheduled for delivery in early 2001.
Risk Characterization of and Risk Communication on Environmental Change and
Subsistence Foods in Alaska. Over the past few years, EPA's Office of Radiation and
Indoor Air and EPA Region 10 have funded the Traditional Knowledge and Radionuclides
Project, aimed at sharing native knowledge on environmental change in Alaska. The range of
contaminants began with radionuclides but broadened, at native peoples' request, to include
PBTs. During this project, EPA became receptive to an alternative way of understanding and
communicating risk. In 1999, regional meetings and meetings with EPA scientists were held
to share native knowledge on environmental change and to review current research and
priorities. These efforts resulted in a Progress Report that tells of significant changes going on
in the dynamics of the Alaskan food chain. Find the report at:
http://www.nativeknowledqe.org/db/explain/proqreport.PDF
PBTI integration efforts resulted in additional funding from EPA Region 10 to the Alaskan Sea
Otter and Sea Lion Commission (representing about 50 tribes) to develop a PBT screening
tool for subsistence foods. Specifically, the program will develop methods for identifying
abnormalities in subsistence food species and the contaminants within them, the tissues
consumed by native populations, methods of food preparation, and those human populations
at greatest risk. The program will result in a resource guide to be used by the tribes for
measuring contaminants in native foods. EPA will spread this knowledge on Alaskan PBT-
related issues to other tribal nations.
ACS PBT Symposium. In support of the PBTI effort, EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT) organized a symposium entitled "Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic
Chemicals," as part of the Spring 1999 national meeting of the American Chemical Society
(ACS) in Anaheim, CA. The 47 oral presentations and 14 papers were contributed by 212
authors and co-authors from 12 countries. EPA's PBT Strategy was presented in a session on
hazard assessment. OPPT also led the development of two ACS monographs derived from the
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symposium, including additional commissioned chapters. These will be published in October
2000, with worldwide distribution by Oxford University Press.
2000 Outlook
The PBT Initiative will continue in its role to integrate the various PBT activities and to
improve stakeholder involvement in the process. Specifically, in 2000, the PBTI expects to
accomplish the following:
* Develop a five-year internal planning document for the Agency-wide PBT Initiative
(2000-2004)
* Issue a revised Agency-wide Multimedia Strategy for PBT Pollutants
* Issue draft National Action Plans to address the 12 Binational Strategy Chemicals
Publish a list of PBT chemicals for voluntary reductions
* Propose a few additional PBT chemicals for Agency-wide focus
* Fund additional work at regional, state, and tribal levels in support of Agency-wide
PBT efforts
* Initiate partnerships with industry to jump-start voluntary PBT reductions
" Complete the dioxin reassessment and develop a National Action Plan for
dioxin/furans
* Launch an Agency-wide effort to systematize PBT monitoring/measurement activities
* Issue a policy under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to
strengthen the screening process for pesticides
* Award MVP2 PBT Cup to innovative companies that voluntarily cut PBTs in their solid
waste streams
The PBT Initiative
An EPA-wide program
This publication was developed by a cross-Agency PBT Plenary Group,
comprising experts from the following EPA Program Offices: Office of
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (chair); Office of Air and
Radiation; Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance; Office of
International Activities; Office of Research and Development; Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response; Office of Water; Office of
Policy, Economics and Innovation; the Great Lakes National Program
Office; and the ten EPA Regions. The key decision-making body of the
PBTI is the Multimedia Pollution Prevention (M2P2) Forum, comprising
Office Directors from all Agency programs and regions.
Comments on this report should be addressed to:
Sam Sasnett (7409), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
Phone: 202-564-8858 E-mail: sasnett.sam@epa.gov
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