Abstract |
Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (also known as Title III) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-499) requires EPA to establish a national inventory of toxic chemical emissions from certain facilities. The final Toxic Chemical Release Form R and regulations for the 1987 reporting year were published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1988 (53 FR 4500-4554). The reporting requirement applies to owners and operators of facilities that have 10 or more full-time employees, that are in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 20 through 39 (i.e., manufacturing facilities) and that manufacture (including importing), process or otherwise use a listed toxic chemical in excess of specified threshold quantities. The law mandates that the data be made publicly available through a computer database. The online TRI file should appeal to a broad-based user audience including industry, state and local environmental agencies, emergency planning committees, the Federal Government and other regulatory groups. |