Administrative Reporting Exemptions for Certain Radionuclide Releases

The Environmental Protection Agency today is issuing a final rule that will reduce reporting burdens under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Reducing reporting burdens is one of the goals of the President's government-wide regulatory reform initiatives. Through this rule, EPA will broaden existing reporting exemptions for releases of naturally occurring radionuclides to include releases that result from: land disturbance incidental to extraction activities, except that which occurs at uranium, phosphate, tin, zircon, hafnium, vanadium, and rare earth mines; and coal and coal ash piles at all sites. Eliminating needless reporting burdens on persons responsible for certain mine sites and coal and coal ash piles will also allow EPA to better focus its resources on the most serious releases, resulting in more effective protection of public health and welfare and the environment.