states that accept the proposed guidelines, he added. "Commercial laboratories will finally be able to use technological improvements they have developed." Roger Carlson, director of the Kansas Health and Environment Laboratory, which certifies watertesting laboratories in the state, said the performance-based
methods will create a heavier workload for the state's two fulltime survey staff, who keep track of 330 certified testing laboratories. He added that Kansas will likely adopt the flexibility guidelines. "This is a trend whose time has come," he said. EPA hopes to approve the flexibility rule in 1998, according to
Reding. The March 28 Federal Register notice published performance specifications for inorganics in water and general procedures for the proposed rule. Comments on that notice are due Aug. 1. Performance specifications on organics are scheduled to be published this fall, said Reding. —VINCENT LECLAIR
Toxics Release Inventory expanded to cover seven new industries Seven industries comprising 6100 companies will join 25,000 firms that report toxic chemical releases to EPA under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The rule expanding TRI, approved April 22, drew criticism from some industry sectors that charged that the Clinton administration failed to address key concerns raised during the rulemaking. In announcing the new rule on Earth Day, President Clinton said manufacturers have cut emissions by 43% since TRI became law a decade ago. Vice President Al Gore said TRI has more support than "any other thing we can do." Both Clinton and Gore pledged to continue expanding TRI reporting requirements. Added to the TRI roster are metal- and coal-mining operations, electric utilities, commercial hazardous waste treatment facilities, chemical and allied product wholesalers, bulk petroleum terminals, and solvent recovery services. The rule also requires chemical manufacturers to report certain hazardous waste treatment emissions. TRI requires facilities to submit annual reports on the quantity of toxic chemicals released into the air, surface water, and land, including quantities that are recycled, disposed of, treated, incinerated for energy recovery, or accidentally released. Although the environmental community applauded the expansion, citing increased public access to information about releases in local communities, some industry representatives say the administration ignored recommendations that would have softened the rule's impact. Mark Morgan, executive director of the Petroleum Transportation and Storage Association, said EPA failed to consider the difference between petroleum bulk stor-
age plants and terminal facilities and refineries. Very little air emissions or any kind of emissions come from these plants," said Morgan. TRI reporting will be costly to some of these
Both Clinton and Gore pledged to continue to expand TRI reporting requirements. small bulk plants, which will need to start monitoring water, air, and soil if they don't fall under an exemption for facilities with 10 or fewer full-time employees, said Morgan. "The question is, how will EPA interpret exemptions in their guidance?" Morgan said. "They
claim we can use statistical modeling, but they have not shown how that can be done." "The law requires that people use their best available information," said Maria Doa, director of EPA's TRI branch in the Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics. "It doesn't require any special monitoring." Doa said the agency plans to seek recommendations on how to lower the burden on companies during a stakeholder meeting this summer. This process would likely include a redesign of the reporting form she said. Doa said EPA will make the reporting data available on the agency's World Wide Web home page. The rule takes effect Jan. 1, 1998, and companies added to TRI must begin reporting releases July 1, 1999. —VINCE LECLAIR
AIR QUALITY "Master solution" on regional NOx cuts due This month, the group formed to study U.S. regional ozone transport is expected to issue its final recommendations for reducing nitrogen oxides (N0X) and volatile organic compounds. EPA officials have looked to the Ozone Transport Assessment Group (0TAG) process, involving the environmental commissioners of 37 states and at least 100 other stakeholders, to produce a "master solution" for regional pollution transport that could also be the basis for other control programs. But the competing concerns of individual state economies have weighed heavily on the process, making it difficult to agree on a regional plan, 0TAG participants say. The technical work by 0TAG researchers, primarily air modeling to determine the main culprit creating regional smog (IM0X) and the effect of outside emissions on local air pollution, has already provided new information {ES&T, March 1997,126A). When discussions began in 1995, researchers believed that ozone precursors could move from California into Maine. 0TAG modeling data have shown the spatial extent to be much smaller. Many participants who did not believe regional transport occurred now see it as a real phenomenon. But like many previous deadlines that have been extended, the final report deadline may also be missed. At an April meeting of 0TAG, chair Mary Gade, director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, urged members to complete their work in June. As to what the final recommendations will be, said one state official: "There is not a soul out there who can predict what the outcome of 0TAG might be." —CATHERINE COONEY
VOL. 31, NO. 6, 1997 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 2 6 7 A
