Federal Disclosure Requirements for Drinking Water, Air Emissions, and Food Allergens: A Guide to Understanding Contaminants in the Environment.

What contaminant requires Federal disclosure

Homes before 1978 must disclose the presence of known Lead-based paint and provide leases with any relevant records or reports

The contaminant that requires Federal disclosure depends on the context.

For drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for over 90 contaminants under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA), which includes primary and secondary maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and treatment techniques. Public water systems are required to sample and test for these contaminants and report any violations to the public through the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) or Drinking Water Quality Report, which provides information on what contaminants were detected and at what levels.

For air quality, the EPA requires facilities that emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) to report their emissions under the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) program. The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program also requires certain industries to report on releases of over 650 chemicals and chemical categories to the air, water, and land.

For food, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires disclosure of the eight major food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans) on food labels, as well as any ingredient that contains a protein derived from these allergens.

In summary, there are various federal disclosure requirements for contaminants in drinking water, air emissions, and food allergens which aim to inform the public on potential health risks.

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