June 2, 2006 – Earlier this month the US House of Representatives voted to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from changing a program that forces companies to report certain types of pollution to the public.
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As previously reported by The NewStandard, the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) is a public pollution database. The EPA had proposed to loosen the reporting requirements for companies, potentially further depriving communities of information about local toxic releases. Environmental activists told TNS last December that they find the TRI invaluable for their work in monitoring and fighting pollution.
The May 18 vote in the House came as part of the appropriations bill for the EPA and mandates that the agency cannot use any of its funds to move forward with the proposed changes to the reporting requirements. The Senate has not passed a similar measure.
