The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) convened an in-person and on-line public forum today to discuss OPPT’s ongoing efforts to develop an interactive public website. The website would integrate a wide range of chemical data collected and EPA assessments conducted under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) programs, as supplemented by additional EPA resources such as the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). According to the presentation, OPPT intends to go live with the first phase of the website by Spring/Summer 2013.
Following an introduction by Barbara Cunningham, OPPT Deputy Director for Management and Pollution Prevention, Maria Doa, Ph.D., Director, OPPT Chemical Control Division, delivered a slide presentation demonstrating the content and search capabilities of the proposed website. As a public forum, each slide was met with spirited discussion by forum attendees, who included a range of representatives from industry, non-governmental organizations, and federal and state government agencies. Dr. Doa invited comment particularly on the search options and the presentation of information in layers of detail.
The slides reveal a website with tabbed screens that support searches by Chemical input, including chemical name, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number, or chemical categories or groups, as well as by Endpoints, including human health, environmental effects, and environmental fate. Users may specify desired search outputs from among the following options:
- Data Submitted to EPA, such as from chemical testing requirements or health and safety data reporting.
- EPA Assessments, including hazard and risk assessments, IRIS summaries, screening work plan chemical assessments, Design for the Environment (DfE) alternatives assessments, and the DfE Safer Chemicals Ingredient List.
- EPA Actions, including significant new use rules (SNUR), consent orders, pre-manufacture notice (PMN) results/assessments, and other limits on chemical manufacturing, processing, and use.
- Manufacturing, Processing, Use, and Release Data Maintained by EPA, including data from the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule, TRI, and other production, use, and exposure information.
According to the presentation, later phases of the website will coordinate with the EPA Office of Research and Development to integrate additional databases and resources.
If you would like a copy of the slides, please send an e-mail to Chad Howlin at Chad.Howlin@lawbc.com.