Environment and Conservation, Department of

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tennessee Environmental Data Tool Act

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to create an online tool by January 1, 2026, that provides information about toxic release inventory data for facilities near any given address.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the department to make a new website tool by January 1, 2026.
• The tool lets people enter an address and see nearby facilities that report toxic releases.
• It also shows if there are plans to build or expand such facilities near the entered address.
• People can sign up for updates about new applications for building or expanding these facilities.
• Updates must be made within 10 business days of receiving new information.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Environment and Conservation in Tennessee
• Residents who want to know about toxic release data near their homes

Terms To Know

Toxic Release Inventory Data

Information collected by the EPA on facilities that release toxic chemicals into the environment.

Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know Act

A federal law requiring companies to report information about hazardous materials they use or produce.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much it will cost to create the tool.
• It is unclear if there are any penalties for failing to comply with this requirement.

Official Summary Text

No later than January 1, 2026,
this bill requires
the department of environment and conservation
to
create and maintain an informational tool on the department's website
, in a publicly acces
sible location,
that provides data related to the presence of facilities that are required to submit toxic release inventory data to the environmental protection agency pursuant to the
federal
Emergency Planning and Right-to-Know Act. The tool must
meet a
ll of the following criteria:



It must a
llow an individual to input an address and receive a list of
(i) f
acilities that are located within a five-mile radius of the address; and

(ii) notice of whether an application has been submitted for the construction or expansion of a facility that may be subject to the toxic release reporting requirements within a five-mile radius of the address, and any information regarding the status of such application, including any applicable comment or input period related to the application
.



It must allow an individual to request receipt of a notice if an application for the construction or expansion of a facility that may be subject to the toxic release reporting requirements is submitted for a location within a five-mile radius of an address specified by the individual making the request
.



It must be updated using information that the department receives regarding such facilities and applications, including information found in the toxic release inventory data compiled and made publicly available by the environmental protection agency. The department
must
post such updates within 10 business days of receipt of information that necessitates an update.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1352
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 1397
By Pearson

HB1397
003050
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 59; Title 60; Title 68 and Title 69, relative to
toxic release inventory data.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 101, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
No later than January 1, 2026, the department of environment and conservation
shall create and maintain an informational tool on the department's website that provides
data related to the presence of facilities that are required to submit toxic release
inventory data to the environmental protection agency pursuant to the Emergency
Planning and Right-to-Know Act (42 U.S.C. § 11001 et seq.). The department shall
maintain the informational tool in a publicly accessible location. The tool must:
(1) Allow an individual to input an address and receive a list of:
(A) Facilities that are located within a five-mile radius of the
address; and
(B) Notice of whether an application has been submitted for the
construction or expansion of a facility that may be subject to the toxic
release reporting requirements within a five-mile radius of the address,
and any information regarding the status of such application, including
any applicable comment or input period related to the application;
(2) Allow an individual to request receipt of a notice if an application for
the construction or expansion of a facility that may be subject to the toxic release

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reporting requirements is submitted for a location within a five-mile radius of an
address specified by the individual making the request; and
(3) Be updated using information that the department receives regarding
such facilities and applications, including information found in the toxic release
inventory data compiled and made publicly available by the environmental
protection agency. The department shall post such updates within ten (10)
business days of receipt of information that necessitates an update.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.