96-25013. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know; Notice of Public Meetings

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51330-51331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25013]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 372

[OPPTS-400106A; FRL-5396-2]


Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know; Notice of Public 
Meetings

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: EPA will hold two public meetings to receive public comment on

[[Page 51331]]

issues raised by the Agency's advance notice of proposed rulemaking 
(ANPR) on increasing the information available to the public on 
chemical use.

DATES: The first meeting will take place in Boston, MA on October 16, 
1996, at 10 a.m. and will continue through the last registered speaker. 
The second public meeting will take place in Baton Rouge, LA on October 
30, 1996, at 10 a.m. and will continue through the last registered 
speaker.

ADDRESSES: The first meeting will be held at the Environmental 
Protection Agency, One Congress St., Boston, MA 02203 in the 11th floor 
Conference Room. The second meeting will be held at the Department of 
Environmental Quality, Rm. 326, Maynard Ketcham Building, 7290 
Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, 70810.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register to speak, contact 
Cassandra Vail at 202-260-0675, e-mail: [e-mail]. 
For additional information about the meetings, contact Denise Coutlakis 
at 202-260-5558, e-mail: [e-mail]. For further 
information on EPCRA section 313, contact the Emergency Planning and 
Community Right-to-Know Hotline, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Stop 5101, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. Toll free 1-800-535-
0202, in Virginia and Alaska: 703-412-9877 or Toll free TDD: 800-553-
7672.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency 
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Section 313 of EPCRA 
requires certain businesses to submit reports each year on the amounts 
of toxic chemicals their facilities release into the environment or 
otherwise manage. The information is placed in a publicly accessible 
data base known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The purpose of 
this requirement is to inform the public, government officials, and 
industry about the chemical management practices of specified toxic 
chemicals.
    EPA is interested in expanding the information available via TRI to 
include chemical use information such as materials accounting data. The 
Agency began reviewing this issue in 1993 and held public meetings in 
1994 and 1995. On August 8, 1995, President Clinton directed EPA to 
develop and implement, on an expedited schedule, a process for 
consideration of reporting use information under TRI. In response, EPA 
has begun the regulatory development process for additional review of 
chemical use reporting, which the Agency believes may provide a more 
detailed and comprehensive picture to the public about environmental 
performance and about toxic chemicals in their communities. Elsewhere 
in this issue of the Federal Register EPA has issued an ANPR to give 
notice of EPA's consideration of this issue and to solicit comments on 
all aspects of chemical use and the collection of chemical use data. 
The purpose of the public meetings is to provide public forums for 
interested parties to provide input on the issues raised by the ANPR.
    Oral statements will be scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis 
by calling Cassandra Vail at the telephone number listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. EPA encourages meeting participants to 
provide written statements. All statements will become part of the 
public record and will be considered in the development of any proposed 
rule. In order to accommodate and schedule speakers, EPA requests that 
those interested in speaking register by October 11, 1996.

    Dated: September 10, 1996.
Susan B. Hazen,
Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

[FR Doc. 96-25013 Filed 9-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F