On August 10, 2017, and on August 11, 2017, petitions for review of two of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final “framework rules” issued under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) were filed in federal court. These six lawsuits seek review of the final rule Procedures for Chemical Risk Evaluation under TSCA and the final rule Procedures for Prioritization of Chemicals for Risk Evaluation under TSCA. The petitions were filed by Safer Chemicals,...
On August 14, 2017, as the final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) information gathering rule on nanomaterials took effect, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published “working guidance” intended to assist stakeholders in complying with the rule. The working guidance notes that it “will not provide answers to all of the potential questions that will arise as manufacturers and processors seek to comply with the rule. Commenters to the draft guidance...
August 11, 2017
EPA Publishes TSCA Framework Final Rule on TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements; Sets Dates for Retrospective Reporting
On August 11, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the third Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) framework final rule in the Federal Register, the TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements. This final rule is effective as of August 11, 2017 (the date of publication). As further detailed in the final rulemaking, chemical manufacturers and importers are required to submit notifications for chemicals that were manufactured or imported over...
August 10, 2017
THE WAIT IS OVER: TSCA Framework Final Rule on TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements Scheduled For Publication
On August 11, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to publish the third Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) framework final rule in the Federal Register, the TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements. This final rule is scheduled to become effective on August 11, 2017 (the date of publication). This rule, signed by EPA on June 22, 2017, establishes, among other requirements: More information on this final rule is...
August 8, 2017
EPA Eliminates New Chemical Backlog; Commits to Improvements to New Chemical Safety Reviews
On August 7, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a press release stating that it has eliminated the new chemical backlog of over 600 chemicals: “[t]he current caseload is back at the baseline and now in line with the typical active workload.” The press release also announces improvements to new chemical safety reviews, which include operating principles, improvement of EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) new chemicals program, and further...
August 3, 2017
EPA Nominates Additional Candidates for Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Requests Public Comments
On August 3, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice on further nominations to the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). EPA’s notice provides the names and affiliations of 64 additional candidates currently under consideration for appointment to SACC. Biographical sketches for these candidates will be are posted on EPA’s website. EPA will also be considering the 29 candidates for membership previously identified in...
On July 20, 2017, the Trump Administration released its 2017 Unified Regulatory Agenda. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Agency Rule List included many items under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including six in the final rule stage, ten in the proposed rule stage, and one in the prerule stage. The six items in the final rule stage are: The ten items in the proposed rule stage are: The one item in the prerule stage is:...
On July 20, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published two of the three Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) framework final rules in the Federal Register: These rules will become effective on September 18, 2017. The TSCA Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Reporting Requirements final rule has not yet been published. EPA also published the notice of availability of its guidance to assist in developing and submitting draft risk evaluations: More...
On July 10, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a prepublication version of a direct final rule, Significant New Use Rule on Certain Chemical Substances, noting the issuance of significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 29 chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and subject to consent orders under TSCA Section 5(e). These are the first rules with consent orders negotiated...
On July 7, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the scope documents for the risk evaluations of the first ten chemicals that it will be conducting under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 82 Fed. Reg. 31592. The notice states that each scope document includes “the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the EPA expects to...