On January 22, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the reasons for its denial of a petition requesting it to require health and environmental effects testing on 54 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 86 Fed. Reg. 6602. The petition sought issuance of a rule or order under TSCA Section 4 compelling The Chemours Company (Chemours) to fund and carry out this testing under the direction of a panel of independent scientists. EPA states that it...
January 26, 2021
Health, Environment, and Justice Organizations Seek Clarification from ECHA on Nano and Biocidal-Treated Products
On January 20, 2021, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe and 12 other health, environment, and justice organizations sent a letter to Bjorn Hansen, Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) “seeking clarifications on both the applicable legal framework and risk management measures in place, for nano/biocidal-treated articles in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.” The letter states that “[a]s a result of laboratory tests supposedly showing...
January 25, 2021
Registration Opens for EPA’s February 3, 2021, Webinar on Asbestos Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on February 3, 2021, “to educate stakeholders on the risk management process under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the findings in the final risk evaluation for Asbestos Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos.” EPA states that the webinar will also give the public an opportunity to provide input on considerations the agency should take into account for managing these unreasonable risks. Stakeholders who wish to...
January 21, 2021
Registration Opens for NNI Webinar on “What We Know about NanoEHS: How It All Began”
Registration is now open for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) February 9, 2021, webinar, “What We Know about NanoEHS: How It All Began.” NNI states that its 2021 NanoEHS webinar series will focus on sharing what it now knows about the environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials (nanoEHS). According to NNI, throughout the series, “experts will share the big take-home EHS messages with the broader nanotechnology...
On January 19, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of a final compliance guide that outlines which imported articles are covered by EPA’s July 2020 final significant new use rule (SNUR) that prohibits companies from manufacturing, importing, processing, or using certain long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) without prior EPA review and approval. The final guide is “the official compliance guide for imported...
January 15, 2021
EPA Issues TSCA Section 4 Test Orders for Nine Chemicals Undergoing Risk Evaluation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 15, 2021, that it has issued test orders under Section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to obtain additional data on nine of the next 20 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation. EPA states that after reviewing the available data on these chemicals, it determined additional data are needed and is using its TSCA test order authority to require companies to develop and submit information on environmental hazard and...
On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that advances collaboration and communication on EPA’s review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA states that the MOU provides a framework for coordination and communication between the two agencies on exposure to new chemicals in the workplace and will help achieve the...
January 12, 2021
SCCS Opinion on the Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics Includes Prioritized List of Nanomaterials for Risk Assessment
On January 11, 2021, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) posted a final opinion entitled Scientific Advice on the Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics. The EC requested that SCCS determine the nanomaterials, as published in the 2019 catalogue of nanomaterials, for which specific concerns can be identified and justified to establish a priority list of nanomaterials for risk assessment (Article 16(4) Reg. 1223/2009). The final opinion...
January 12, 2021
Comments on Proposed Changes to TSCA Fees Rule Due February 25
On January 11, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule that would amend the 2018 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) fees rule. 86 Fed. Reg. 1890. Under TSCA, EPA collects fees from chemical manufacturers and processors to help fund implementation and to ensure that public health and the environment continue to be protected. TSCA requires EPA to review its fees every three years and, after consulting with parties potentially...
This week's All Things Chemical™ Podcast will be of interest to readers of the TSCAblog™. A brief description of the episode written by Lynn L. Bergeson is below. This week I had my final visit with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dunn. As many of our listeners know, Alex Dunn lead the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and was responsible for implementing the nation’s industrial and agricultural chemical...