EPA indicates metals science review will be completed in 2004
EPA Acting Deputy Administrator Steve Johnson confirmed in a recent meeting that the agency expects to finalize work on a framework for analysing the environmental risk of metals before the end of 2004. EPAÕs Science Advisory Board (SAB) study will indicate whether a PBT (persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity) evaluation process is appropriate for metals; however, preliminary SAB findings indicate that such an analysis is inappropriate. Any substance that is labelled a ÒPBTÓ must be reported at a 100 pounds annual usage threshold in EPAÕs Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program, and PBT reporters are ineligible to use the simplified TRI Form A.
In response to continuing pressure from SGCDpro, Congressional staff and others, EPA has indicated that it will consider implementation of TRI burden reduction steps for small businesses that report 0 or negligible on-site Lead release. A number of options are possible including the creation of a ÒForm NSÓ which small TRI Lead reporters could utilize to indicate that there had been no significant change in process or waste disposal from a baseline TRI reporting year.
TRI reports for 2003 are due on June 30, 2004. For more details, visit www.epa.gov/tri. Contact Andy Bopp, 703-838-2810, with any questions