NPRA Says EPA's Chemical Reporting Rule is Imprudent

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Petrochemical and Refiners Association Vice President of Petrochemicals James Cooper issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule announced today, previously known as the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) modifications:

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"EPA showed sound judgment when it decided to retain a threshold of reporting on chemicals produced to 25,000 pounds per year, and not lower it. Additionally, by moving the reporting period to early 2012, producers are better able to gather, consolidate and provide more accurate information.

"EPA's decision to increase the type and amount of information it collects from commercial chemical manufactures is imprudent and imposes unrealistic requirements on petrochemical manufacturers and others that sell commodity chemicals. Requiring them to report use and exposure information of the chemicals when many of their customers are traders and distributors is analogous to requiring the manufacturers of Girl Scout cookies to track who eats every box.

"This rule will dramatically increase the reporting burden on manufacturers and requires more information than the EPA can feasibly use. We recommend that EPA use Section 8(a) of TSCA in a more targeted manner, such as the PAIR rule, which collects exposure information as it is needed, and is what Congress intended when it crafted the statute."

– NPRA –

NPRA is a trade association representing high-tech American manufacturers of virtually the entire U.S. supply of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, other fuels and home heating oil, as well as the petrochemicals used as building blocks for thousands of vital products in daily life. NPRA members make modern life possible and keep America moving and growing as they meet the needs of our nation and local communities, strengthen economic and national security, and provide jobs directly and indirectly for more than 2 million Americans.

SOURCE National Petrochemical & Refiners Association