(TRI) Reporting for Facilities Located in Indian Country

[NaepcA1]

To: Tribal Governments in AZ/CA/NV.
Please share this information with your tribal government colleagues including emergency response providers; other tribes nationwide; tribal community members; and your partners in protecting tribal community health & environmental quality. Thank you!
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting for Facilities Located in Indian Country: EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register on April 19, 2012 for "Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting for Facilities Located in Indian Country and Clarification of Additional Opportunities Available to Tribal Governments Under the TRI Program." http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-04 ... 2-9442.pdf EPA has taken an important step in finalizing a rule that provides tribal governments with more opportunities to fully participate in the TRI Program. Under the rule, facilities located in Indian country are required to submit TRI reports to EPA and the appropriate Tribe, rather than to the State in which the facility is geographically located. The final rule explicitly clarifies the provision that a Tribal chairperson or equivalent elected official has the same opportunities as a State Governor to petition EPA to request: (1) that individual facilities located within their Indian country be added to TRI, and (2) that a particular chemical(s) be added to or deleted from the TRI chemical list. EPA’s action is part of its ongoing effort to increase tribal participation in the TRI Program and improve access to information on toxic chemical releases affecting local communities in Indian country. Through this final rule, EPA provides tribal governments with the right to directly receive release reporting information from facilities located in Indian country, and explicitly clarifies the rights of tribal leaders to take an active role in TRI through petitions to modify the toxic chemical list or requests to add a facility within their Indian country to TRI. Contact: Lily Lee, Regional TRI Coordinator, Toxics Office, CED, 415-947-4187 or email lee.lily@epa.gov