“This email is intended to serve as a courtesy email letting you know that EPA has initiated an on-line national stakeholder dialogue on ways to reduce the burden associated with the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), EPA's publicly available database of toxic chemical releases reported annually by industry.  Given the community focus and broad use of TRI data, stakeholder involvement is critical to TRI's continued success. EPA is now announcing the beginning of the comment period for suggestions on a number of possible burden reduction options including, but not limited to: establishing higher chemical use thresholds for small businesses; modifying the eligibility requirements of the Form A Certification Statement to expand its use; creating a new form allowing facilities meeting certain criteria to certify to no significant change in toxic chemical release and other waste management reporting in the current year; and allowing facilities to apply the range codes used in Sections 5 and 6 of the Form R to Section 8 of the Form R. A primary goal of this effort by EPA is to reduce burden associated with TRI reporting while at the same time continuing to provide valuable information to the public consistent with the goals and statutory requirements of the TRI program. An issue paper that offers more background on the TRI program and a number of burden reduction options is available on the TRI program's web site at: http://www.epa.gov/tri/programs/stakeholders/outreach.htm.  Comments will be accepted for 60 days through the Agency's electronic docket at Docket ID No. TRI-2003-0001.  For more information about this stakeholder dialogue and to link to the Federal Register notice announcing the stakeholder Dialogue visit the TRI website at: http://www.epa.gov/tri  Due to the number of email groups to which this email is being sent, you may receive it more than once.  I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.”

 Sincerely,

 Larry Reisman

 TRI Program

 Note:  On December 30, 2003, EPA extended the comment period until February 4, 2004 68 FR 75237.

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