News

EPA Adds o-Nitrotoluene to EPCRA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding ortho-nitrotoluene (o-nitrotoluene) to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990. o-Nitrotoluene has been classified by the National Toxicology Program in its 12th Report on Carcinogens as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." EPA has determined that o-nitrotoluene meets the EPCRA section 313(d)(2)(B) criteria because it can reasonably be anticipated to cause cancer in humans.  This final rule is effective November 29, 2013, and shall apply for the reporting year beginning January 1, 2014 (reports due July 1, 2015).

ChemOne's McGreal Recognized for Service to MFS

On September 19th at Monadnock Family Services' Annual Meeting, Stephen McGreal, president of ChemOne Compliance, LLC, was presented with the "Incorporator of the Year" for his service to the organization.  Not only is Mr. McGreal an Incorporator (community advocate), but also serves on the Development Committee and has been very involved with numerous community-based fundraising activities (e.g. Men Who Cook and the MFS Gala).  Monadnock Family Services (MFS) is a non-profit, comprehensive, community mental health agency serving 35 towns in Cheshire and western Hillsborough counties in southwestern New Hampshire.  Each year, their team members serve approximately 1,300 children and youth who have serious emotional and behavioral disturbances; 2,000 other children and youth through our community prevention activities conducted in partnership with area school districts and other youth-serving organizations; and almost 4,000 adults through a variety of counseling and support services.  MFS offers programs in parent education, family support, youth development, services for seniors, substance abuse prevention and treatment, veterans support services, and treatment for individuals and families confronting mental illness.

Toxics Release Inventory Data Going Electronic

In this final rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires facilities to report non-trade-secret Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) forms to EPA using electronic software provided by the Agency. Electronic reporting of TRI forms provides numerous benefits, including making it easier for facilities to report accurate information, expediting form completion due to the pre-population of many form elements, decreasing the cost to EPA of processing forms, and providing TRI information more quickly to the public. The only exception to this electronic reporting requirement is for the few facilities that submit trade secret TRI information, which will continue to submit their trade secret reporting forms and substantiation forms in hard copy.

Under this rulemaking, EPA also requires facilities to submit electronically via the Internet (i.e., not on paper forms or CD-ROMs) any revisions or withdrawals of previously submitted TRI reporting forms. Additionally, EPA will no longer accept submissions, revisions, or withdrawals of TRI reporting forms submitted for reporting years prior to reporting year 1991. For trade secret submissions, EPA will still only accept revisions or withdrawals of previously submitted trade secret information on paper forms, though only for reporting years back to reporting year 1991.  This final rule is effective on January 21, 2014.

EPA Finalizes Fifty-three New SNURs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 53 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Seven of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA section 5(e) consent orders issued by EPA. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture or process any of these 53 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.  This rule is effective on October 7, 2013. For purposes of judicial review, this rule shall be promulgated at 1 p.m. (e.s.t.) on August 21, 2013.

EPA Finalizes Seventeen New SNURs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing significant new use rules (SNURs) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 17 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Fifteen of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA section 5(e) consent orders issued by EPA. This action would require persons who intend to manufacture, or process any of these 17 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.  This final rule is effective August 26, 2013.

EPA Proposes Addition of Nonylphenols to EPCRA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to add a nonylphenol category to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990. EPA is proposing to add this chemical category to the EPCRA section 313 list pursuant to its authority to add chemicals and chemical categories because EPA believes this category meets the EPCRA section 313(d)(2)(C) toxicity criterion. Based on a review of the available production and use information, the members of the nonylphenol category are expected to be manufactured, processed, or otherwise used in quantities that would exceed the EPCRA section 313 reporting thresholds.