Industry supplying or importing mercury or products with mercury added to them has new reporting tools available for use, according to a news release issued by the EPA on February 22, 2022.
The updated Mercury Electronic Reporting (MER) application and compliance guide was released in time for calendar year 2021 data reporting and will make it easier to report information about the supply, use, and trade of mercury to the EPA.
“The 2018 mercury inventory reporting rule requires companies, organizations, and individuals who manufacture or import mercury or mercury-added products (including pre-assembled products that contain mercury-added components), or otherwise intentionally use mercury in a manufacturing process to report information to EPA,” states an EPA news release. “This information is required to be submitted every three years using the online MER application, accessed through the Agency’s Central Data Exchange (CDX).”
The reporting rules also apply to industry that “otherwise intentionally uses mercury in a manufacturing process (including processes traditionally not subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), such as for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and pesticides),” reports a National Law Review article by Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.
Moreover, the mercury inventory reporting rule compliance guide has been updated by the Agency “to reflect the new requirement to report pre-assembled products that contain mercury-added components, such as a watch with a mercury-added battery. The guide explains the requirements for manufacturers and importers to report information about the supply, use, and trade of mercury to EPA; provides an overview of the legal requirements; and describes how the Agency intends to use the information it collects. Diagrams and examples are provided to help companies determine whether they must report information about mercury to EPA,” continues the Agency’s news release.
The updated MER also includes a drop-down year list that allows users to report for previous reporting years and makes the system easier for the EPA to maintain. This will improve the reporting capabilities of the MER application and create maintenance efficiencies for the EPA.
“Today’s action will help EPA carry out statutory requirements to identify any manufacturing processes or products that intentionally add mercury and recommend actions to achieve further reductions in mercury use in the United States,” the news release says. “This will further assist the United States in its implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.”
The reporting deadline for 2021 data is July 1, 2022.