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New at EPA
Public Meetings on Reassessment of PCB Use Authorizations
EPA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to potential reassessment of PCB use authorization under the Toxic Substance Control Act. Public comments are due on July 6; EPA will also be holding public meetings. Learn more here…
EPA Proposes Adding 16 Chemicals to the TRI Chemical List
On April 6, 2010, EPA took another important step toward providing communities with additional information about toxic chemicals being released to the environment.
EPA is Providing Communities with Additional Information about the Release of Hydrogen Sulfide into the Environment
The Agency is announcing that it is considering lifting the 1994 Administrative Stay of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements for hydrogen sulfide. EPA is now presenting its rationale for why the Stay should be lifted, based on an updated evaluation that includes new information on human health and environmental effects of hydrogen sulfide. Learn more here...
Don't Be Too Hasty...
The Obama administration's "push" to get things done is admirable; however, we must not lose sight of the fact that good scientific practices and acceptable applied scientific knowledge must not be forgotten in the process. For example, is 60 days and 10 samples (in response to the USAToday study) enough information to draw logical conclusions over the ambient air concentrations community schools are experiencing? What kind of defensible health values and conclusions can be drawn from such a limited database? Expeditious methods (i.e., "quick-fix") appease the public and look good in the eyes of the press, but sound scientific approaches "carry the day".