18
Toxic Chemicals
REFINEMENTS TO TRI
Since the program was established, the EPA has made many refinements to the program. The following timeline highlights many of the key changes to the program
over the years.
October 1986: The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)
Title III, commonly known as the EPCRA, was signed into law. Section 313
of the act established the TRI program.
February 1988: The EPA published a rule in the Federal Register (53 Federal
Register 4500) that, under EPCRA Section 313, certain industrial facilities
are required to report releases of listed toxic chemicals to the EPA annually.
November 1990: Congress passed the PPA, which among other requirements,
expanded the TRI program to require providing additional information on
toxic chemicals in waste and reporting on source reduction methods.
Beginning in 1991: Covered facilities were required to report quantities of
TRI chemicals recycled, combusted for energy recovery, and treated on and
off site. At this time, TRI reporting was only required of the manufacturing
sector (SIC codes 20–39).
August 1993: By Executive Order 12856, federal facilities were required to
report under TRI starting in 1994 regardless of the industrial classification
(SIC code) of the facility.
Reporting Year 1993: TRI reporting was required for 316 chemicals and
20 chemical categories. Certain RCRA chemicals and certain hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were added to the TRI chemicals list.
November 1994: The EPA promulgated the Chemical Expansion Final Rule
(59 FR61431) Phase I, expanding TRI by 286 new chemicals and categories.
This expansion of the chemical list raised the number of chemicals and
chemical categories reported under TRI to over 600.
July 1996: The EPA deleted di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) (CAS No.
103-23-1), also known as bis-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate; diethyl phthalate
(DEP); and nonaerosol forms of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the TRI list
because it was determined that there was not sufficient evidence that they
met the required toxic criteria.
May 1997: The EPA implemented Phase II (expansion of the facility list) of
an expansion of the TRI program by promulgating the Industry Expansion
Final Rule (62 Federal Register 23834), which added metal mining; coal
mining; electric utilities; commercial hazardous waste treatment; chemicals and allied products, wholesale; petroleum bulk terminals and plants,
wholesale; and solvent recovery services to the list of facilities that must
report under TRI. The EPA estimated that about 6,600 additional facilities
would submit more than 37,000 additional Form R reports because of the
addition of these industry groups.
April 1998: The EPA consented under court order to delete dimethyldichlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, and trimethylchlorosilane (chlorosilanes)
from the TRI list of chemicals.
Toxic Chemicals
REFINEMENTS TO TRI
Since the program was established, the EPA has made many refinements to the program. The following timeline highlights many of the key changes to the program
over the years.
October 1986: The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)
Title III, commonly known as the EPCRA, was signed into law. Section 313
of the act established the TRI program.
February 1988: The EPA published a rule in the Federal Register (53 Federal
Register 4500) that, under EPCRA Section 313, certain industrial facilities
are required to report releases of listed toxic chemicals to the EPA annually.
November 1990: Congress passed the PPA, which among other requirements,
expanded the TRI program to require providing additional information on
toxic chemicals in waste and reporting on source reduction methods.
Beginning in 1991: Covered facilities were required to report quantities of
TRI chemicals recycled, combusted for energy recovery, and treated on and
off site. At this time, TRI reporting was only required of the manufacturing
sector (SIC codes 20–39).
August 1993: By Executive Order 12856, federal facilities were required to
report under TRI starting in 1994 regardless of the industrial classification
(SIC code) of the facility.
Reporting Year 1993: TRI reporting was required for 316 chemicals and
20 chemical categories. Certain RCRA chemicals and certain hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were added to the TRI chemicals list.
November 1994: The EPA promulgated the Chemical Expansion Final Rule
(59 FR61431) Phase I, expanding TRI by 286 new chemicals and categories.
This expansion of the chemical list raised the number of chemicals and
chemical categories reported under TRI to over 600.
July 1996: The EPA deleted di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) (CAS No.
103-23-1), also known as bis-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate; diethyl phthalate
(DEP); and nonaerosol forms of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the TRI list
because it was determined that there was not sufficient evidence that they
met the required toxic criteria.
May 1997: The EPA implemented Phase II (expansion of the facility list) of
an expansion of the TRI program by promulgating the Industry Expansion
Final Rule (62 Federal Register 23834), which added metal mining; coal
mining; electric utilities; commercial hazardous waste treatment; chemicals and allied products, wholesale; petroleum bulk terminals and plants,
wholesale; and solvent recovery services to the list of facilities that must
report under TRI. The EPA estimated that about 6,600 additional facilities
would submit more than 37,000 additional Form R reports because of the
addition of these industry groups.
April 1998: The EPA consented under court order to delete dimethyldichlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, and trimethylchlorosilane (chlorosilanes)
from the TRI list of chemicals.