EPA Seeks to Cut Toxics Reporting, Post-Katrina Move Endangers Public Health; National Environmental Trust Statement
Posted on: Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 15:00 CDT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Statement of Tom Natan, research director, National Environmental Trust:
"Today's announcement by the EPA is a move that places polluter interests squarely ahead of public health and safety. With less data, scientists and the media will find it more difficult to reduce environmental and health risks that can endanger the public."
"We know that more than 180 dangerous chemicals are released in the New Orleans area by more than 60 chemical and petroleum facilities because of TRI. This proposed data reduction will make cleanup all the more difficult in the aftermath of future disasters."
BACKGROUND
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) has been compiled by the EPA since 1988 and provides annual reporting on public exposures to dangerous toxic chemicals like mercury, which is linked to birth defects and brain damage, and benzene, which is linked to cancer and neuroxicity.
Today, the EPA announced that it will spend the next year developing a proposal to cut its reporting in half, from annual to biennial. This means that communities would have to wait two years to get information on dangers to their health. It also means that it will take twice as long to determine trends that can endanger the public.
See the EPA announcement at
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/ d9bf8d9315e942578525701c 005e573c/ ed5dcfbbd6f58e7e852570830048f830!OpenDocument
TRI data has been essential to the media for tracking environmental dangers to the public. A recent and high profile example was Wall Street Journal's reporting in the article, "Katrina's Oily Wake Task of Cleaning Major Spill In Residential Meraux Awaits; The Streets Ooze Thick Muck" on Sept. 12.
Contact: Tony Iallonardo, Deputy Director of Communications, National Environmental Trust, Ph. 202-887-8855.
http://www.usnewswire.com
Source: U.S. Newswire
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