Stockholm and Rotterdam Toxics Treaty Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-6421
Sponsor: Rep. Gillmor, Paul E. [R-OH-5]
Introduced: 2006-12-08 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Agriculture and Food
Air pollution control
Business records
Chemical industries
Chemicals
Commerce
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Export controls
Exports
Federal preemption
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Hazardous wastes
Health
Industrial pollution
International Affairs
International environmental cooperation
Judicial review
Labeling
Law
Local laws
Pesticide pollution
Pesticide regulation
Pesticides
Polychlorinated biphenyls
President and foreign policy
Public health
Risk
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
State laws
Technological innovations
Transboundary pollution
Treaties

Summary:
action_date: 2006-12-08
text: 
Stockholm and Rotterdam Toxics Treaty Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to provide for the implementation of three international environmental agreements: (1) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention); (2) the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP POPs Protocol); and (3) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC Convention).
 
Prohibits the manufacture, process, distribution for export, use, or disposal of specified Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue or amend rules related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in order to comply with the provisions of the POPs Convention or the LRTAP POPs Protocol.
 
Requires a notice and comment procedure regarding the addition of a new chemical to the POPs Convention or the LRTAP POPs Protocol. Allows the Administrator to issue regulations concerning such chemicals, including prohibiting their use to protect human health and the environment in a manner that achieves a reasonable balance of social, environmental, and economic costs and benefits.
 
Requires the Administrator to publish: (1) a decision regarding the treatment of any new source categories that are not already listed under the Clean Air Act as major source categories; (2) notice of the development of action plans under the POPs Convention; and (3) a decision on whether to promulgate regulations for newly listed POPs or the status of a rulemaking if the Administrator has not made a decision about such POPs.
 
Requires the President to consult with and report to Congress before consenting to bind the United States to an amendment of the POPs Convention.
 
Requires the Administrator, in cooperation with the Secretary of State and the heads other federal agencies, to participate in international efforts concerning POPs.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from promulgating a rule authorizing PCB manufacture, processing, or distribution activities or granting an exemption from PCB regulations under TSCA, unless they are consistent with the exemptions under the POPs Convention and the LRTAP POPs Protocol.
 
Prohibits the distribution for export equipment that contains more than a specified percentage of PCBs in liquid stock, except for the purpose of legal, environmentally sound waste management.
 
Establishes conditions for exporting chemicals listed on Annex III of the PIC Convention.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-12-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-12-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2204-2205)
action_date: 2006-12-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-12-08
text: Introduced in House