TRI to Apply to Ordnance

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

"TRI" TO APPLY TO ORDNANCE DEMIL

According to the Army Environmental Center, in the year 2000 Army
installations will for the first time be required to report toxic
chemical releases from a number of ordnance-related activities,
including the open burning and open detonation of military munitions.
Reporting will be through the national Toxics Release Inventory program,
supervised by U.S. EPA. Technically, facilities will be required to
report ordnance waste treatment, disposal, recycling, recovery, and
reuse activities. Those activities not considered waste treatment,
because of the definitions in EPA's military munitions rule, will not be
covered.

This is a major step forward, and TRI compliance in other areas suggests
that the mere prospect of reporting will lead to better waste management
practices and even pollution prevention. But don't hold your breath
waiting. The deadline for reporting year 2000 data is late in 2001, and
then EPA has to massage the data before releasing it to the public.

Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight (AKA SFSU
CAREER/PRO)
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org