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Highlights

May 1, 2009
List of Disinfectants Against 2009-H1N1 Flu : Disinfecting hard surfaces is one way to help stop the spread of the 2009-H1N1 virus. Registered disinfectant products are for use on hard, non-porous surfaces. These products should always be used according to label instructions and are not to be used on the skin or to be taken orally. Approved products specifically have label information which states they provide effectiveness against “Influenza A virus.”

April 16, 2009
U.S. and Canada to Increase Scrutiny of Flea and Tick Pet Products: A recent sharp increase in the number of incidents reported from the use of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for pets has prompted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to intensify its evaluation of whether further restrictions on the use of these products are necessary to better protect pets.

April 15, 2009
EPA Initiates Testing of Chemicals for Hormone Effects - To identify chemicals that may have effects on the hormone systems of people and animals, the Agency will soon be requiring testing of the first group of 67 pesticide chemicals through the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). This scientific screening program will provide information to help EPA identify whether chemicals have the potential to interact with the endocrine system (estrogen, androgen and thyroid systems)

March 18, 2009
Voluntary Cancellation of Certain Carbofuran Uses - Effective March 18, EPA has granted a request from the registrant for voluntary cancellation of certain uses of and products containing flowable and granular carbofuran . All federally registered uses of carbofuran are being cancelled except four food crop uses and two non-food crop uses.

March 16, 2009
National Poison Prevention Week, March 15-21 - EPA is observing National Poison Prevention Week to increase awareness of the issue, encourage parents and caregivers to lock up products that could potentially harm children, and minimize children's exposure to unintentional poisonings from pesticides and household products. Learn more about how individuals and families can prevent poisonings and exposures to household cleaners and pesticides.

January 30, 2009
EPA announced it is extending the public comment period for 45 days on its advance notice of proposed rulemaking on formaldehyde emissions from pressed wood products, and that it will hold one additional public meeting in New Orleans on March 4, 2009, to enable more complete public participation.

January 12, 2009
Interim Report on Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) Available - EPA received a significant amount of data which has strengthened its understanding of the issues and commercial status of nanoscale materials. However, a number of environmental health and safety data gaps the Agency had hoped to fill through the NMSP still exist. EPA will continue the NMSP and is also considering how to best use its regulatory authorities to help address those data gaps.

December 8, 2008
EPA is encouraging the phase-out of mercury in glass non-fever thermometers used in industrial and laboratory settings by promoting alternatives to mercury in glass thermometers, eliminating mercury in EPA labs, reviewing industrial standards, and reviewing EPA regulations and test methods.

December 4, 2008
New Partnership Grants Demonstrate Integrated Pest Management - Grants totaling nearly $1 million have been awarded for projects that use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to reduce pesticide risk. The grants will support the demonstration of innovative IPM practices, technologies, outreach and education.

December 3, 2008
EPA, FDA, and USDA have issued a joint statement that there is no food or feed safety concern from an incident in which a small portion of an unauthorized genetically engineered (GE) cotton variety was harvested along with commercially available GE cotton.

November 25, 2008
A broad effort has been launched to gain a greater scientific understanding of the potential health risks of formaldehyde's use in pressed wood products. EPA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) describing the Agency's efforts to investigate regulatory or other actions that might be appropriate to protect against risks posed by formaldehyde emitted from pressed wood products. A series of public meetings will solicit public input on the effort.

November 19, 2008
For outstanding achievements in manufacturing, using and encouraging the use of safer surfactants, 40 companies and organizations were named the first Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative Champions by EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. Learn about EPA's Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative and the new award program.

November 8, 2008
EPA Recognizes D.C. for Efforts to Protect Chesapeake Bay During Fifth Annual Green Festival – EPA’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program recognized one of its newest partners, the D.C. Office of the Clean City, for its efforts to increase public awareness of the condition of the Chesapeake Bay and to change behaviors that harm the Bay.

October 30, 2008
Nominations for 2009 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards - EPA is accepting nominations for the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Self-nominations are expected and must be received by December 31. Read more information on how to enter the Award Competition.

October 16, 2008
The document Wire and Cable Insulation and Jacketing: Life-Cycle Assessments for Selected Applications - Summary is now available on the Design for the Environment Program web site, which summarizes the results of an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of resin systems with alternative heat stabilizer formulations used in several wire and cable applications.

September 24, 2008
Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP) - EPA has outlined enhancements to ChAMP, including a reset of the TSCA Inventory and collecting health and safety information on inorganic high-production volume chemicals. Read the speech  (5 pp., 2.4MB, about PDF) and press release.

September 8, 2008
National Pollution Prevention Week - One of the most important ways to protect the environment is by reducing pollution before it ever gets to the environment. National Pollution Prevention Week is September 15-21, and this year's theme "Pollution Prevention - Where Sustainable Practices Begins" reminds us that preventing pollution is at the heart of sustainability.

September 2, 2008
Lead Test Kit Evaluation - EPA is evaluating the effectiveness of lead test kits by asking vendors to submit test kits for review to ensure fewer false negatives.

August 19, 2008
The new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Import-Export Web site pulls together into one site a comprehensive presentation of information on TSCA import and export requirements that may apply to various chemicals and circumstances under, among others, TSCA Sections 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 and 13.

July 24, 2008
EPA Acts to Address Carbofuran Residues in Food - Due to considerable risks associated with the pesticide carbofuran in food and drinking water, EPA is revoking the regulations that allow carbofuran residues in food. In addition, EPA is proceeding on the path toward cancellation of the pesticide registration, which will address the risks to pesticide applicators and birds in treated fields.

July 14, 2008
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) January 2007 - June 2008 Accomplishments Report Released - This web-based report highlights OPPT's expanded efforts to ensure the safety of existing chemicals through the newly created program "ChAMP," and OPPT's promotion of pollution prevention and environmental stewardship. Other accomplishments include initiating the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, issuing a new lead rule to reduce risks of lead poisoning in children, and reaching a milestone in the PFOA Stewardship Program with member companies' first annual progress reports received and made publicly available.

July 10, 2008
Soil Fumigant Pesticides Subject to New Safety Measures - EPA will require a suite of new mitigation measures that will work together to protect human health. These new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides will increase protections for agricultural workers and bystanders - people who live, work, or otherwise spend time near fields that are fumigated.

June 24, 2008
2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Winners Announced - Five leading researchers have received awards for chemical technology innovations that promote cleaner, cheaper, and smarter chemistry. Developing safer, environmentally friendly chemicals and processes results in reduced waste, safer products, and reduced use of energy and resources. Over the past 13 years, collectively, award-winning technologies have eliminated more than 1.1 billion pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, saved over 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminated nearly 400 million pounds of carbon dioxide releases to air.

June 23, 2008
Following review of a TSCA Section 21 petition, EPA is launching a broad effort to gain a greater scientific understanding of the potential health risks of the use of formaldehyde in pressed wood products. Through this process, EPA will develop risk assessments on the potential adverse health effects, evaluate the costs and benefits of possible control technologies and approaches, and determine whether EPA action is needed to address any identified risks.

May 29, 2008
Making Rodenticide Products Safer - EPA is putting new measures in place to better protect children, pets, and wildlife from thousands of accidental exposures that occur every year from rodenticides. These practical and low cost measures provide protection while ensuring rodent control products will continue to be effective and affordable for all consumers.

April 21, 2008
New Green Building Approach - EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced a new Agency approach to help facilitate the mainstream adoption of green building practices to reduce the environmental and public health impacts of buildings and building-related products.

March 31, 2008
EPA announced new requirements to protect children from lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities being renovated or remodeled. The new lead rule requires contractors and construction professionals that work in these facilities to follow lead-safe work practice standards to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead for children in places they frequent.

March 18, 2008
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson gave the keynote address at the Global Chemical Regulation Conference, attended by more than 300 chemical industry regulatory, environmental and health officials, in Baltimore, Md. The Administrator outlined the Agency's commitments to assess and initiate needed action on existing chemicals produced above 25,000 pounds per year made under the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) and discussed several enhancements to EPA's Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), a program created to implement SPP commitments.

March 18, 2008
Apply for EPA recognition through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Program's Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI). Through this initiative, DfE will recognize environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to using only safer surfactants. Applications must be submitted no later than May 30, 2008. Awards will be presented in late 2008 in Washington, DC.

February 22, 2008
Genetically Engineered (GE) Corn "Event 32" - EPA and two other Federal agencies are coordinating efforts following notification by Dow AgroSciences that the company detected extremely low levels of an unregistered GE pesticide product known as a plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) in three of its commercial GE hybrid corn seed lines. The three agencies have concluded that there are no public health, food or feed safety concerns. Additionally, EPA and USDA have determined that the unregistered GE corn PIP poses no plant pest or environmental concerns.

January 30, 2008
Need help interpreting Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) release data? Try the newly released update of EPA's popular computer-based screening tool, the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI). This tool uses risk factors to put TRI release data into a chronic health context. Use it to examine trends, identify important emissions situations for follow-up, support community-based projects and more.

January 28, 2008
Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) Launched - The NMSP will encourage submission and development of key scientific information and use of risk management practices for chemical nanoscale materials. Submit your contact information if you are interested in participating in the NMSP.

January 8, 2008
EPA Submits Draft Notice of Intent to Cancel (NOIC) for All Carbofuran Registrations - EPA has opened a docket containing the materials provided to the FIFRA Science Advisory Panel (SAP) that is convening on February 5-8, 2008. The SAP will review the scientific assessment underlying EPA's NOIC for carbofuran and respond to questions posed by the Agency related to the impact on health and the environment of the proposal.

Previous Highlights

Map of the Region 5 states and the Great Lakes

Acting Assistant Administrator
James J. Jones

Pick 5 Photo

 


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