Panel Agrees on Disclosure of Toxic Emissions

House and Senate Superfund negotiators agreed Thursday to force large chemical manufacturers and processors to tell the public about routine emissions of toxic and hazardous materials.

Acceptance of the community right-to-know requirement, which is opposed by the chemical industry, came as the conferees appeared to be nearing the end of their five months of negotiations over the future of the toxic waste cleanup program.

The provision, prompted by the 1984 gas-leak tragedy in Bhopal, India, and subsequent leaks from plants in this country, would initiate a federal reporting requirement dealing with emissions into the air and water during the normal course of manufacturing.

Reporting Requirement

For unplanned incidents such as Bhopal, the provision would require plant officials to immediately notify local health and safety agencies of an accidental release and to provide them with inventories of chemicals stored at a plant.

For routine emissions, a company using at least 25,000 pounds a year of any substance on a list of 300 toxic and hazardous chemicals would have to disclose what escapes into the environment.

Superfund negotiators scheduled another meeting for today.