Enhancing EPA’s Chemical Management Program
Announcements
August 8, 2012 -- EPA signed a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to:
- Require companies to report 90 days in advance of all new uses of long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic (LCPFAC) chemicals as part of carpets or to treat carpets, including the import of new carpet containing LCPFACs.
- Add seven perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS) chemicals to the existing PFAS SNUR (40 CFR 721.9582), and amend that SNUR to include "processing" in the definition of significant new use for PFAS chemicals.
June 1, 2012 -- EPA has identified the 18 Work Plan chemicals on which risk assessments will be done in 2013 and 2014. Read more.
EPA Announces TSCA Work Plan Chemicals
March 1, 2012 -- EPA has posted its Work Plan identifying chemicals for risk assessment under TSCA. The effort is part of EPA’s comprehensive approach to enhance the Agency’s current chemicals management program.
- View the TSCA Work Plan Chemicals (PDF)(11 pp, 454 kb) About PDF
- Find out how EPA identified the Work Plan Chemicals (39 pp., 1.0 mb.) About PDF
- Read EPA’s Existing Chemicals Program Strategy (PDF) (4 pp., 48 kb.) About PDF
Highlights
Submit your CDR Form U! The CDR submissions period is from February 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012. Learn more.
At the direction of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and in parallel with the announcement of principles to strengthen US chemical management laws, in September 2009 EPA initiated a comprehensive approach to enhance the Agency’s current chemicals management program within the limits of existing authorities.
That effort included:
- New regulatory risk management actions on lead, formaldehyde, and nano materials, among others;
- Development of Action Plans outlining the Agency's risk management efforts on 10 chemicals and chemical groups;
- Requiring information needed to understand chemical risks; and
- Increasing transparency and public access to information about chemicals.
Expanding on these efforts, EPA developed the Existing Chemicals Program Strategy (4 pp., 48 kb.) About PDF, released February 2012, describing its three-pronged approach for the existing chemicals management program. The Strategy addresses:
- Risk assessment and risk reduction
- Data collection and screening
- Public access to chemical data and information.
As one component of this strategy, EPA has identified a work plan of 83 chemicals for further review under TSCA. EPA identified seven of these chemicals for risk assessment in 2012. EPA will complete some of these assessments this year and will initiate new assessments from the work plan in the coming years. EPA identified 18 additional chemicals for risk assessment in 2013 and 2014. Read about the TSCA Work Plan Chemicals.
Read about current chemical risk management activities on specific chemicals.