Read This! Important Toxics Release Inventory News

2011 Reports Due July 1

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reports for 2011 are due July 1, 2012. You must file a report if your facility manufactured, processed, or used any listed toxic chemical over its threshold amount during 2011.

Threshold amounts are 25,000 pounds for chemicals that are either manufactured or processed at the facility, or 10,000 pounds for chemicals otherwise used. Persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals (PBTs) have threshold amounts of 100 pounds or less.

New! Facilities Must Track Hydrogen Sulfide Use in 2012

Facilities that use hydrogen sulfide and that might be subject to TRI reporting must track their use of this chemical now!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lifted the administrative stay on hydrogen sulfide. This reinstates the TRI reporting requirement for the chemical effective for the 2012 reporting year. First reports on hydrogen sulfide will be due July 1, 2013 for the 2012 reporting year.

The reporting thresholds for hydrogen sulfide are 25,000 pounds if manufactured or processed, or 10,000 pounds if otherwise used.

EPA added hydrogen sulfide to the TRI list of toxic chemicals in 1993, but placed an administrative stay on it in order to evaluate issues brought up after issuing the final rule. Facilities did not have to file annual TRI reports for hydrogen sulfide because of the stay. Now facilities must submit reports about the use, environmental release, and chemical management activities of hydrogen sulfide. This means communities will have additional information about this toxic chemical.

Hydrogen sulfide (CAS 7783-06-4) occurs naturally in crude petroleum, natural gas, volcanic gases, and hot springs (that “rotten egg” smell). It can also result from the breakdown of organic matter, including human and animal wastes. Hydrogen sulfide can also result from some industrial activities. This includes food processing, coke ovens, kraft paper mills, tanneries, and petroleum refineries. People may be exposed to higher levels of hydrogen sulfide from living near wastewater treatment plants, gas or oil drilling, farms with manure storage, livestock confinement facilities, a landfill, or other such operations.

Remember to Report the Sixteen New TRI Chemicals!

EPA added sixteen new chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals. Reports for these new chemicals are due July 1, 2012.

The newly added chemicals are:

Individual Listings		Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) Category
Chemical Name	CAS Number	Chemical Name	CAS Number
1-Amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone	81-49-2	1,6-Dinitropyrene	42397-64-8
2,2-bis(Bromomethyl)-1,3-propanediol	3296-90-0	1,8-Dinitropyrene	42397-65-9
Furan	110-00-9	6-Nitrochrysene	7496-02-8
Glycidol	556-52-5	4-Nitropyrene	57835-92-4
Isoprene	78-79-5
Methyleugenol	93-15-2
o-Nitroanisole	91-23-6
Nitromethane	75-52-5
Phenolphthalein	77-09-8
Tetrafluoroethylene	116-14-3
Tetranitromethane	509-14-8
Vinyl Fluoride	75-02-5

The reporting thresholds for the individually listed chemicals are 25,000 pounds if manufactured or processed, or 10,000 pounds if otherwise used.

The PACs category is a category of persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic (PBT) chemicals and has a lower reporting threshold of 100 pounds.

Some of the facility types expected to be impacted by this rule change include wood product and paper manufacturing, petroleum and coal products manufacturing, petroleum bulk stations and terminals, hazardous waste collection, and hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities.

For more information

To determine whether these actions affect your facility, carefully examine the applicability criteria in part 372 subpart B of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

To get more information about TRI reporting in Washington State, please contact Diane Fowler at (360) 407-6171, or visit EPA’s TRI homepage.