POPs, LRTAP POPs, and PIC Implementation Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-4800
Sponsor: Rep. Solis, Hilda L. [D-CA-32]
Introduced: 2006-02-16 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Air pollution control
Appellate courts
Bioaccumulation
Business records
Chemical industries
Chemicals
Commerce
Cost effectiveness
Department of the Treasury
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental assessment
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Export controls
Exports
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Hazardous wastes
Health
Import restrictions
Imports
International Affairs
International agencies
International environmental cooperation
Judicial review
Labeling
Law
Legal fees
Minorities
Pesticide pollution
Pesticide regulation
Pesticides
Pollution control
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Poverty
Risk
Social Welfare
Toxicology
Trade agreements
Transboundary pollution

Summary:
action_date: 2006-02-16
text: 
POPs, LRTAP POPs, and PIC Implementation Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to incorporate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) provisions from three international agreements: (1) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention); (2) the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (Protocol); and (3) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC Convention). 
 
Prohibits, subject to exemptions under this Act, the POP Convention, and the Protocol, the manufacture, processing, distribution for export, use, or disposal of the following POPs chemical substances or mixtures: aldrin; chlordane; chlordecone; dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); dieldrin; endrin; HCH; heptachlor; hexabromobiphenyl; mirex; toxaphene; and hexachlorobenzene. 
 
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, within specified time frames, to publish notice and provide the public an opportunity to comment on certain POPs Convention and Protocol proposals, profiles, decisions, and recommendations, including recommendations by the POPs Convention and the Protocol to list a chemical.
 
Directs the Administrator, following a POPs Convention or Protocol decision to list an additional chemical, to notify the public about: (1) a rule to prohibit or restrict the manufacture and use of the chemical that protects against significant adverse human health and environmental effects; (2) a rule issued under other federal law for such protection; (3) a statement or final decision that regulation of the chemical is not necessary because U.S. regulations already implement control measures specified in the POPs Convention and the Protocol; or (4) a decision not to prohibit or restrict the chemical because its use it is not likely to lead to significant adverse effects. 
 
Allows filing of judicial review petitions. Provides remedies.
 
Directs the Administrator to apply the more stringent of conflicting provisions between the POPs Convention and: (1) the Protocol; or (2) the PIC Convention.
 
Requires the Administrator to participate in activities supporting implementation of the Protocol, the PIC Convention, and the POPs Convention.
 
Requires any person distributing certain chemical substances or mixtures included in the PIC Convention to comply with export conditions and notification requirements. Requires chemicals subject to certain notice requirements under the PIC Convention to bear labeling information, to have safety data sheets, and to have documentation of customs codes assigned by the World Customs Organization.
 
Declares that requirements relating to the Protocol or POPs and PIC Conventions will be effective only if the United States is a party to them.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from granting exemptions to the requirement that no person may manufacture, process, or distribute polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) unless authorized to do so under this Act.
 
Declares that no state or political subdivision may establish or continue requirements applicable to a POPs Convention or Protocol chemical if the requirements are less stringent than the control measures and other requirements under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-02-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2006-02-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-02-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-02-16
text: Introduced in House