Creates the toxic information clearinghouse; provides substances hazardous to public health, safety or the environment that have been identified or listed as a hazardous waste in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 27-0903 or 37-0103 of the environmental conservation law; provides chemical hazard traits and environmental and toxicological end-point data.
Summary
This bill would create a new “toxic information clearinghouse” within the Department of Environmental Conservation and require the department to maintain a public website listing substances that are identified as hazardous waste or otherwise appear on specified hazardous substance lists in the Environmental Conservation Law. The website would also provide chemical hazard traits and environmental and toxicological endpoint data for those substances. In addition, the department would be directed to consult with other states, the federal government, and other nations to identify available hazard and toxicity data.
The bill also amends existing disclosure provisions in the toxic chemical release reporting law. It removes outdated language requiring the commissioner to maintain a computer database and provide data on printout and diskette, while preserving the requirement that annual summaries of facility information be made available to the public at no charge. The act would take effect 24 months after becoming law, with immediate authorization for any necessary rulemaking.
Impact
The bill would expand public access to hazardous substance information by creating a centralized online clearinghouse and requiring the Department of Environmental Conservation to publish hazard and toxicological data for listed substances. It would affect the Environmental Conservation Law, particularly Article 37 and section 37-0307, by modernizing disclosure requirements and shifting information access toward a web-based public resource. The measure would not limit existing agency authority over hazardous materials and would primarily affect the DEC, regulated facilities subject to toxic chemical reporting, and members of the public, researchers, and communities seeking environmental health information.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and informational rather than controversial. The measure is framed as a transparency and public-health initiative, emphasizing easier access to hazard data and better public awareness of toxic substances. No recorded opposition, amendments, or divided votes are provided in the context.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s structure, could include the administrative burden on the Department of Environmental Conservation, the scope of substances included in the clearinghouse, and the quality or availability of data obtained from other jurisdictions. However, the supplied materials do not identify any named opponents or supporters raising those issues.
Creates the toxic information clearinghouse; provides substances hazardous to public health, safety or the environment that have been identified or listed as a hazardous waste in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 27-0903 or 37-0103 of the environmental conservation law; provides chemical hazard traits and environmental and toxicological end-point data.
Requires a municipality to notify the department of environmental conservation about certain sites containing illegal or hazardous substances; requires the department of environmental conservation to notify the United States environmental protection agency and create a remediation plan for the affected site.
Establishes a program to provide information to consumers concerning household hazardous products; provides such information be available at the point of retail sale by labels and pamphlets; provides such information should disclose hazards and inform people of environmentally safer alternatives; provides for the establishment of a hazardous product list by the department of environmental conservation.