Search

Discusses various aspects of government policies regarding environmental risk assessment and management in the United States as of April 1999. Background on government's approach to environmental risk assessment; Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management's release of its report evaluating the government approach to environmental risk assessment in January 1997.

Focuses on the United States Department of Energy's decision to stop selling scrap metals from nuclear weapons facilities. Health threats from possible radioactive contamination; Acceleration of a program to collect some types of commercially owned, radioactive sources that are no longer in use.

Reports on a proposed voluntary program aimed at reducing the leaks of smog-causing vapors from above-ground petroleum product refinery storage tanks in the United States. Tanks' release of volatile organic compound emissions; Emissions' violation of clean air regulations; Contact information.

Reports on the public hearing to be conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about a new relocation policy for residents and businesses near hazardous waste sites. Need for more public comment on National Priority List Superfund sites; Conditions for permanent relocation.

Presents an interview with Julius Jimeno, director of safety, health and environmental management at the Environmental Protection Agency. Role in developing policies; Most significant safety and health concerns; Safety rating of the agency; Technology-based job tools; Compliance to year 2000 date conversion.

Cites the five documents from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's High Production Volume Challenge designed to help chemical companies compile basic toxicity information for chemicals manufactured in excess of one million pounds in the United States. Availability on the Internet; Commitment of the companies that will participate in the program.

Reports that the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued final rules in 1997 aimed at reducing toxic emissions from medical waste incinerators. Approximation on the number of such incinerators nationwide; Length of time which incinerator operators have to comply to the rules; Contact information for the rules; Availability of the rules on the World Wide Web.

Reports on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) stand on the dioxin controversy. Production of dioxin through industrial processes; Health effects of dioxin; Dioxin as a probable human carcinogen; Physiological effects; Suggestions by environmental groups to implement action against dioxin.

Focuses on United States (U.S.) government's plan to include environmental impact reviews in trade agreement negotiations. Topic of an Executive Order from U.S. President Bill Clinton; Creation of procedures for incorporating environmental issues into the negotiating process.

Reports on the partnership between United States government agencies and the three major carmakers to produce fuel-efficient cars. Amount contributed by each to the initiative; Development of hybrid electric-gas engines; Government's financial incentives to consumers.

Reports on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's establishment of limitations for wastewater discharges from solid and hazardous waste landfills. Application of the rule to landfills that discharge water directly into waterways; Restrictions on the discharge of pollutants; Reduction of at least 900,000 pounds of pollutants.

Reports on the release of a document clarifying exemptions for certain hazardous substances in the United States under the Superfund and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Provisions of the two laws; Availability of the guidance document.

Reports on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's development of new standards for dioxin. Setting of a limit for dioxin in sewage sludge; Creation of monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements for dioxin; Contact information.

Reports on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's restriction of the use and management of genetically-altered Bt corn. Engineering of the corn to produce its own insecticide; Requirement of growers to produce a minimum structured refuge; Need for seed producers to expand monitoring activities.

Reports on the possible removal of phosphoric acid from the list of chemicals under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory program following a court battle initiated by the Fertilizer Institute. Court ruling reversing the agency's decision to keep the chemical in the list.

Reports on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's release of rules prohibiting motor vehicle waste disposal wells and cesspools as of April 2000. Proposal to phase out existing wells and cesspools under the rules; Importance of the rules to government efforts to control polluted source water.

Focuses on the `Tier 2' motor vehicle standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency aimed at reducing smog under the 1990 Clean Air Act. Types of vehicles covered by the standards; Requirements for gasoline suppliers under the proposed standards.

Reports on United States Environmental Protection Agency's additional reporting requirements on the most highly toxic chemicals. Number of chemicals to be subjected to reporting requirements in the year 2000; Impact of the rules on small businesses.

Cites an Ozone Attainment Coalition study which found electric power plants in the eastern half of the United States able to meet clean air regulations without compromising electric reliability. US Environmental Protection Agency plan to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions in 12 states; EPA concurrence with the industry study.

Reports that several utilities have released information about their toxic emissions for the first time since the United States Environmental Protection Agency expanded its Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. Reporting before deadline; Reporting chemicals not yet required; Expanded list of chemicals to be reported; Contact information about the TRI program.

Reports on the plan of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to overturn a federal appeals court attack on clean-air standards for smog and soot. Court's rejection of the standards on constitutional grounds.

Reports on the resignations of seven environmental, consumer and public-interest members of the United States government's food quality advisory board as a sign of protest over the obstructed implementation of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act. Claims over the failure to ban pesticides in food; Other groups whose representatives resigned from the panel.

Focuses on the Waste Research Strategy of the Environmental Protection Agency which outlines ways to reduce risks associated with the clean up of hazardous and solid wastes. Strategy's identification of areas requiring further research; Primary areas prioritized by the strategy.

Reports on the proposal made by the Environmental Protection Agency exempting flammable hydrocarbon fuels that are stored in separate tanks no larger than 18,000 gallons from the Risk Management Program rule. Fuels classified under the hydrocarbon group; Exclusion of the exemption.

Reports that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has extended the deadline of independently-owned small gas stations to comply with safety regulations for underground storage tanks. Slated deadline for compliance; Estimated number of substandard tanks that have closed since 1988; Details regarding the prioritization of the EPA under its underground storage safety initiative.

Reports on a new regulation that allows the pharmaceuticals production industry in the United States to use a flexible approach to air pollution permitting. Aim to reduce methylene chloride and other air toxics by about 24,000 tons a year; Provision of pre-approved permit options to facilities; Contact information.

Reports that national security and industrial safety concerns are hounding the United States Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to put information about facilities' worst-case incident scenarios on the Internet. Requirement of the Clean Air Act for facilities to prepare a worst-case scenario risk management plan; Agency's reconsideration of the proposal.

Reports that a four-year moratorium could be imposed on the United States Environmental Protection Agency air-quality standards for ozone and particular matter, due to a bill introduced in Congress. Information on the standards; Comments from Republican Ron Klink, D-Pa., who introduced the bill; Views on how the EPA is implementing the air standards.

States that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has developed a strategy, aimed at helping the industry and states comply with the 1996 air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter. Principles included in the strategy; Availability of additional information on the standards on the World Wide Web; Contact for technical information on the standards.

Reports that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has issued additional Superfund guidelines, aimed at encouraging developers to clean up lower-risk hazardous waste sites, called brownfields. Why financial and real estate institutions are often reluctant to redevelop brownfields; Contact information for the guidelines; Availability of the guidelines on the World Wide Web.

Reports that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced that, five industry sectors are under requirement to provide extensive data on their environmental performance to the agency, under a community-right-to-know project. Listing of the sectors; Name for the project; What this project is part of; Data which each facility in the project must report; Contact information.