US, Canada, Mexico Aim To Coordinate Toxics Databases

Databases similar to the US EPA's Toxics Release Inventory exist in many other countries — and an effort to better coordinate North American toxics databases is coming up November 10-11, 2009.

The North American Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (NAPRTR) Consultative Group will be meeting on those days in Guadalajara, Mexico. The group meets under the auspices of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

The CEC has published the agenda for the meeting, which will review the programs of the US, Canada, and Mexico and ways to better coordinate them.

The NAPRTR annually publishes an overview of chemical activity in all three countries, called "Taking Stock." The most current issue covers data year 2005. The project includes a tool for one-stop searches in the databases of all three countries.