An ELI and LGEAN Co-Sponsored Public Webinar
The Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) created the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) to inform the public about potentially hazardous materials in the community. In fact, two out of every three Americans live within three miles of facilities subject to the TRI, which covers over 800 individual chemicals and chemical categories. These substances often originate from manufacturing, mining and hazardous waste management sites and are known to cause significant adverse harm to the environment and human health.
Local governments use TRI data in many ways, from supporting emergency planning to informing siting and permitting decisions and aiding “fence-line” communities at risk of potential exposure. Local and tribal government owned- and operated facilities, such as waste management and locally owned utilities, may also be subject to TRI reporting requirements, and governments officials need to be informed about their obligations.
Join the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and EPA to learn more about how local and tribal governments can best use the TRI to help protect community members’ health and welfare. EPA experts will provide an overview of the TRI, explaining which local and tribal government facilities may be subject to reporting requirements and how officials can use the TRI and other EPA tools to respond to community concerns and trace chemical releases back to their sources.
Panelists:
Cynthia R. Harris, Deputy Director of the Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Caitlin Briere, Senior Analyst, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency
Sarah Swenson, Communications Specialist, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency
Steve Witkin, Specialist – TRI Explorer, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency
Materials:
Any materials will be posted as they are received.
ELI members will have subsequent access to any materials/a recording of this session (usually posted w/in 48 hours). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.