EPA is Seeking Input for Initial Reviews Under TSCA Reform

EPA is seeking public input by March 15 on ten specific chemicals to inform the scoping documents – all required to be released mid-June – for evaluation of each of the chemicals under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

“Use” is one of the key sections in EPA’s “Preliminary Information on Manufacturing, Processing, Distribution, Use and Disposal” document for each chemical:

• 1,4-Dioxane
• 1-Bromopropane
• Asbestos
• Carbon Tetrachloride
• Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (document for HBCD)
• Methylene Chloride
• N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)
• Pigment Violet 29 (PV29)
• Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene
• Trichloroethylene

EPA is seeking the following information for each chemical, which can be submitted directly to its docket:

• functional uses
• types of products containing the chemical
• industry sectors that use the chemical
• what volume of the chemical is used
• which uses have been discontinued or phased out
• exposure scenarios
• articles containing the chemical

Publication of the list of these ten chemicals on December 19 triggered a statutory deadline for EPA to complete, within three years, risk evaluations for each to determine whether they present an unreasonable risk to humans and the environment; the determinations may in turn trigger further requirements to manage risks.

PLASTICS can also help facilitate submission of your input. Please contact us for more information.