82 FR 15522 - Mercury; Initial Inventory Report of Supply, Use, and Trade

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 59 (March 29, 2017)

EPA was directed by Congress in the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act), which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), to carry out and publish in the Federal Register not later than April 1, 2017, an inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade in the United States. The Lautenberg Act defines ``mercury'' as ``elemental mercury'' or ``a mercury compound.'' Consistent with this mandate, EPA is announcing the availability of this initial inventory report, which is a compilation of publicly available data on the supply, use, and trade of elemental mercury and mercury compounds.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15522-15523]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06205]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0127; FRL-9960-30]


Mercury; Initial Inventory Report of Supply, Use, and Trade

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA was directed by Congress in the Frank R. Lautenberg 
Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act), which 
amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), to carry out and 
publish in the Federal Register not later than April 1, 2017, an 
inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade in the United States. The

[[Page 15523]]

Lautenberg Act defines ``mercury'' as ``elemental mercury'' or ``a 
mercury compound.'' Consistent with this mandate, EPA is announcing the 
availability of this initial inventory report, which is a compilation 
of publicly available data on the supply, use, and trade of elemental 
mercury and mercury compounds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For technical information contact: Sue Slotnick, National Program 
Chemicals Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 566-1973; email 
address: [email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action applies to the public in general, and may be of 
particular interest to a wide range of stakeholders including members 
of the public interested in elemental mercury or mercury compounds 
generally or specifically in the supply, use, or trade of elemental 
mercury or mercury compounds, including mercury-added products and 
manufacturing processes, and interested in the assessment of chemical 
risks. As such, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the 
specific entities that may be interested in this action.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

    As directed in TSCA section 8(b)(10)(B), EPA is publishing an 
inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade in the United States (15 
U.S.C. 2507(b)(10)(B)). The Lautenberg Act defines ``mercury'' as 
``elemental mercury'' or ``a mercury compound'' (15 U.S.C. 
2507(b)(10)(A)). The purpose of the mercury inventory is to ``identify 
any manufacturing processes or products that intentionally add 
mercury'' (15 U.S.C. 2607(b)(10)(C)). This initial inventory report 
(Ref. 1) is a compilation of readily available, previously published 
data on the supply, use, and trade of elemental mercury and mercury 
compounds. Current, complete information is not available for some 
topics. EPA is not soliciting comments on this initial inventory 
report.
    The Agency also is directed to carry out and publish such an 
inventory every three years after April 1, 2017, as supported by a rule 
authorized in the Lautenberg Act (15 U.S.C. 2507(b)(10)(B)). That rule 
must be promulgated by June 22, 2018. (15 U.S.C. 2507(b)(10)(B)). For 
inventories subsequent to the initial inventory report, EPA is 
authorized to promulgate a rule to ``assist in the preparation of the 
inventory'' so that ``any person who manufactures mercury or mercury-
added products or otherwise intentionally uses mercury in a 
manufacturing process shall make periodic reports to the Administrator, 
at such time and including such information as the Administrator shall 
determine'' (15 U.S.C. 2607(b)(10)(D)). Future triennial inventories of 
mercury supply, use, and trade are expected to include data collected 
directly from persons who manufacture (including import) mercury or 
mercury-added products or otherwise intentionally use mercury in a 
manufacturing process.

III. References

    The following is a listing of the documents that are specifically 
referenced in this document. The docket includes these documents and 
other information considered by EPA, including documents that are 
referenced within the documents that are included in the docket, even 
if the referenced document is not physically located in the docket. For 
assistance in locating these other documents, please consult the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
     EPA. Mercury--U.S. Inventory Report: Supply, Use, and 
Trade. 2017.

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 2607(b)(10)(B).

    Dated: March 23, 2017.
Wendy Cleland-Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-06205 Filed 3-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P