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Tell the EPA to Keep Information about Toxic Pollution Public

Target: Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Sponsored by: Union of Concerned Scientists

We think American citizens have a right to know what toxic chemicals are being released into their local communities.

But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to significantly limit the information that companies are required to disclose about their release of hazardous chemicals including toxins like mercury, lead, and dioxin into our environment.

Through its plan to reduce the reporting requirements of its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program, the EPA is proposing to take away an important tool for protecting public health and our environment. In its 20 years in existence, the TRI has provided the public with critical information about chemical contaminants that pose a serious threat to our health, while simultaneously providing incentives for companies to reduce their pollution levels.

There is no justification for weakening this successful program today, other than to please large corporate polluters, who view public disclosure as a costly nuisance. That's why we must send a strong message to the Bush Administration that this is unacceptable public policy in a democracy!

The EPA is accepting public comments only until January 13, 2005. Please take a moment to oppose this misguided and dangerous proposal and be included in the public record!

deadline: 1-13-2006
goal: 20,000

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Dear Administrator Johnson and EPA staff:

I am writing regarding Docket ID No. TRI-2005-0073.

I am concerned by the EPA's proposed changes to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. For almost 20 years, the TRI program has been successful in making communities around the country safer and healthier by providing critical information on the toxic chemicals released into our land, water, and air.

Raising the reporting threshold to 10 times its current level, moving from annual reporting to every other year reporting, and allowing for less-detailed reporting on persistent, bioaccumlative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals poses a significant threat to our nation's health, safety, and environmental quality. As the United States responds to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the EPA should recognize that there is a need for sufficient reporting on toxic chemicals released into our environment.

American citizens should retain the right to know what toxic chemicals are being released in their communities. I strongly urge the EPA to abandon all of its burden reduction proposals in the docket TRI-2005-0073 and to withdraw its plans to move from an annual to a biennial reporting system.

Sincerely,
[your name]

We signed the “Tell the EPA to Keep Information about Toxic Pollution Public” petition!

# 150:

1:29 pm PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, New Hampshire
Public disclosure of such pollutants will allow people to make informed decisions on where they live.

# 149:

1:27 pm PST, Dec 12, Asha Dobie, Australia

# 148:

1:06 pm PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, Florida

# 147:

1:04 pm PST, Dec 12, Bekki Leddon, Florida

# 146:

12:42 pm PST, Dec 12, Denise Catalano, Florida

# 145:

12:11 pm PST, Dec 12, Randall Cable, Colorado
Please, remember who you work for and why you are in this field in the first place...

# 144:

11:37 am PST, Dec 12, Jennifer Partridge, Alabama

# 143:

11:07 am PST, Dec 12, Betty Gregory, Indiana

# 142:

9:40 am PST, Dec 12, Doug Shohan, Massachusetts

# 141:

8:48 am PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 140:

8:34 am PST, Dec 12, Marcela Del valle, California

# 139:

8:16 am PST, Dec 12, Amy Burgess, Georgia

# 138:

8:01 am PST, Dec 12, Susie Pirtle, Nebraska

# 137:

7:56 am PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, Minnesota

# 136:

7:46 am PST, Dec 12, Jennifer Collins, Alabama

# 135:

7:16 am PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, Florida

# 134:

6:56 am PST, Dec 12, Karen Hausdoerffer, Washington

# 133:

5:30 am PST, Dec 12, Nicholas Parres y Parres, Spain

# 132:

5:02 am PST, Dec 12, Name not displayed, North Dakota

# 131:

4:14 am PST, Dec 12, Kathryn Stover, United Kingdom

# 130:

1:34 am PST, Dec 12, Elaine Secondo , Connecticut

# 129:

11:22 pm PST, Dec 11, Evelyn Peoples Jordan, Florida

# 128:

11:05 pm PST, Dec 11, Thalie Santema, Canada

# 127:

9:55 pm PST, Dec 11, Patrick Stansberry, Iowa

# 126:

9:41 pm PST, Dec 11, Jessica Ebel, Ohio

# 125:

9:31 pm PST, Dec 11, Kara Goldrick, Massachusetts

# 124:

9:16 pm PST, Dec 11, Kerrie D'ercole, Massachusetts

# 123:

9:08 pm PST, Dec 11, Ken Pollett, Utah

# 122:

8:31 pm PST, Dec 11, Janet Zawila, Ohio

# 121:

7:38 pm PST, Dec 11, Chere Jensen, Minnesota
I have mercury blood poisoning

# 120:

7:32 pm PST, Dec 11, Kym Cree, New York

# 119:

7:30 pm PST, Dec 11, MysticMoon Wolf, North Carolina
My health and the health of my family are important to me and for this reason, I want to be informed about what toxins are being released in our community...

# 118:

7:13 pm PST, Dec 11, Nancy Vernand, California

# 117:

6:38 pm PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, California

# 116:

6:16 pm PST, Dec 11, Ms Zentura, Wyoming

# 115:

4:37 pm PST, Dec 11, Ronald Allan, Florida

# 114:

4:37 pm PST, Dec 11, Shirley Semple, Delaware
I believe it is my fundamental right to know of any toxins that are being release to have the right to protect my self and family.

# 113:

4:14 pm PST, Dec 11, Sara Kienke, Utah

# 112:

2:14 pm PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, Wisconsin

# 111:

2:12 pm PST, Dec 11, Cindy Singh, Washington

# 110:

1:22 pm PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, New York

# 109:

12:20 pm PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 108:

11:42 am PST, Dec 11, John Hinds, Kansas

# 107:

11:30 am PST, Dec 11, DAWN WALKER, Kentucky

# 106:

11:17 am PST, Dec 11, J ElHady, Canada
you are disgraceful, keeping such things from the public. we have the right to know what's going on in the world we live in especially for our future generations. shame on you

# 105:

11:14 am PST, Dec 11, Anna Gilman, Florida

# 104:

10:56 am PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, Massachusetts

# 103:

10:01 am PST, Dec 11, Name not displayed, New York
Are you kidding you would help corporations hide this information?!?!

# 101:

9:01 am PST, Dec 11, Maria Dixon, Spain

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Tell the EPA to Keep Information about Toxic Pollution Public

This petition has been closed.