Date: April 18, 2011
Source: News Room
The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee (EPW) has approved by voice vote bipartisan legislation (S. 710) to create an electronic manifest system for hazardous wastes which would modernize and streamline the existing paper-based system and, according to its proponents, provide a more easily enforceable chain of custody for such wastes. One of the bill's backers Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) said that the tracking of hazardous waste shipments through a paper manifest system is an "enormous" burden. Each manifest form has seven or eight copies, which must be filled out manually and physically carried with the waste shipments, mailed to generators and state agencies and stored among facility records, he said. "The paperwork burden is so great that 22 states and the EPA do not even collect copies of the forms," Cardin said. "Those that do so get their copies months after the waste has been shipped. In the vast majority of cases, the only time regulators look at the manifests is during inspections or after a disaster to identify the responsible parties."
S. 710 is sponsored by Cardin and Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Inhofe (R-OK) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Thune and Inhofe introduced a similar bill, S. 3871, in 2006, and the Senate passed an equally similar bill sponsored by Thune in 2008.
PRESS RELEASE
April 14, 2011
Cardin Bill to Reduce Environmental Paperwork Burden Passes Committee, Moves to Senate Floor
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) today passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) to modernize the way the federal government and states track the shipment of hazardous waste.
The Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (S.710) would create an electronic manifest or "e-manifest" to track hazardous material shipments. EPA currently requires carbon copy manifests to accompany such material when it is moved for storage or disposal, commonly referred to as "cradle to grave" documentation.
"I'm proud to join Senator Thune in sponsoring this bill, which will save $100 million annually by modernizing the tracking of hazardous waste," said Senator Cardin. "Replacing the current paper-based waste tracking system with a highly efficient and reliable electronic one would remove a tremendous paperwork burden, assist states in receiving data more quickly, and allow first responders to get data in real-time in the event of contamination. The importance of safeguarding public health from hazardous waste is something that both sides of the aisle can thankfully agree on."
"With an over $14 trillion national debt, Congress ought to be looking for ways to streamline and modernize federal government programs to save taxpayer dollars, while improving the overall effectiveness of these programs," said Senator Thune. "By modernizing the way we track hazardous waste material shipments, we can improve public safety and reduce burdensome paperwork on the
private sector."
Roughly 139,000 regulated businesses submit between 2.5 million to 5 million hazardous waste manifests annually at a cost between $200 million and $500 million per year. Businesses that utilize everything from dry-cleaning chemicals to used engine oil are required to properly document the shipment of waste materials to ensure they are disposed of properly under existing environmental law.
Other cosponsors of S.710 include Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). Senators Cardin and Thune originally introduced e-manifest legislation (S. 3109) in the 110th Congress, but it failed to pass the Senate.
For more information, contact:
Susan Sullam, 410-962-4436
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