Anonymous public comment

Hydrogen sulfide has the potential to be an extremely toxic substance. While it can often be found as a naturally occurring compound in swampy areas or even in small amounts produced by the human body, it can be lethal in larger amounts. Long term exposure is also detrimental. These are obvious facts that can be procured in a basic Chemistry class and yet there is an administrative stay in place that says that there does not need to be any reporting on levels of hydrogen sulfide. While I can understand the rationale, there needs to be steps taken to protect the public. Obviously there is not much that can be done in order to quell the effects of naturally produced hydrogen sulfide, but we can control industrial production and require companies to report the figures. I fully commend you on this regulation that would lift the administrative stay. I find that the fact that states that hydrogen sulfide was added to a list of toxic chemicals in 1993 to be perhaps the largest determining factor in lifting the stay as well as the effects on the human body. Also, if you take a look at the effect that hydrogen sulfide, in quantities greater than what is naturally found, could have upon our ecosystem then we, as the public, certainly have the right to know. Even if hydrogen sulfide was only toxic to, say, fish or even livestock, then we are still posing the danger that hydrogen sulfide could cause some form a genetic mutation which could be harmful to humans that ingest the food. There are way too many possibilities out there and too much information available to uphold the administrative stay. It’s time we lift it and provide the public with their right to the knowledge.