Reporting.(Toxic Release Inventory)

FOR LEAD AND LEAD COMPOUNDS

The recently enacted Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements for lead involve nearly every ceramic and glass decorating company in the U.S., as well as producers of lead-containing products, with far-reaching effects in terms of record-keeping, reporting, use of lead and other related issues.

A meeting sponsored by the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) in Baltimore, Md., June 22, 2001, examined the effects of the new requirements, as well as compliance regulations and reporting requirements. In attendance were members of industry already versed in compliance and reporting, as well as those who were being newly affected with the inclusion of lead in March 2001. A presentation by Bill Reilly of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made up the morning session, and a panel of industry experts, an update on an industry lawsuit against the EPA and a roundtable discussion followed in the afternoon. Following is a brief overview of some of the topics presented during the meeting.

Qualification and Reporting

The TRI reporting process starts with basic qualification using a model that evaluates the company's SIC code (from a list of covered codes); the number of employees (10 or more based on full- and part-time status for a total of 20,000 reportable hours, job function and other criteria--for example, a contractor who …