Coalition Petitions EPA To Change Rules On Confidential Business Information

On August 21, 2014, a coalition of environmental, health, and labor groups filed a 23-page petition with EPA requesting that the Agency "establish time limits for confidentiality claims for chemical information submitted by industry under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)." According to Earthjustice's press release, change is needed because currently "[u]nder TSCA, industry is given wide latitude to claim such information confidential, making it unavailable to state and local governments, medical professionals, health organizations, research institutions and the general public. EPA currently sets no end date for the protection from disclosure of this information, essentially allowing it to be shrouded in secrecy indefinitely." A copy of the press release, with a link to the petition, is available online.