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September 1, 2017

OMB Reviewing Proposed Rule Regarding Reporting Requirements for a Mercury Inventory

Lynn L. Bergeson Carla N. Hutton

On August 17, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted a proposed rule regarding reporting requirements for a mercury inventory to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  The proposed rule would establish reporting deadline(s) and information requirements for the purpose of assisting EPA’s periodic update and publication of the inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade in the U.S.  As required under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, EPA must “carry out and publish in the Federal Register an inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade” in the U.S.  The Lautenberg Act defines mercury as “elemental mercury” or “a mercury compound.”  The inventory was to be published no later than April 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter, as supported by a rule authorized in the Lautenberg Act.  As reported in our March 29, 2017, blog item, EPA published an initial inventory report on March 29, 2017.  For subsequent inventories, 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.”  EPA expects future triennial inventories of mercury supply, use, and trade to include data collected directly from such persons.  In future inventories, EPA also will “identify any manufacturing processes or products that intentionally add mercury; and . . . recommend actions, including proposed revisions of Federal law or regulations, to achieve further reductions in mercury use.”  EPA must promulgate a final rule by June 22, 2018.