The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on August 9, 2019, the draft risk evaluation for 1-bromopropane (1-BP), the fourth of the first ten chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA made the following initial determinations on risk:
- Unreasonable risks to workers, occupational non-users, and consumers under certain conditions of use. EPA notes that these initial determinations are not its final determinations on whether 1-BP presents unreasonable risks under the conditions of use. EPA states that it will use feedback received from the public and peer review processes to inform the final risk evaluations.
- No unreasonable risk to the environment. For all the conditions of use included in the draft risk evaluation, EPA found no unreasonable risks to the environment from 1-BP.
EPA states that these initial determinations may change as its evaluation becomes more refined through the public and peer review process. The draft risk evaluation, including initial risk determinations as to whether the chemical under the conditions of use presents an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, is not final. If unreasonable risk is found for one or more conditions of use in a final risk evaluation, EPA will propose actions to address those risks within the timeframe required by TSCA.
The TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) will peer review the draft risk evaluation at a September 10-12, 2019, meeting. EPA will hold a preparatory virtual meeting on August 21, 2019, to discuss the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions to SACC. EPA requests comments on the draft risk evaluation by August 30, 2019, to allow SACC time to review and consider them before the peer review meeting. Comments received after August 30, 2019, and prior to the end of the oral public comment period during the meeting will still be provided to the SACC for their consideration. EPA will continue to accept comments on the draft risk evaluations until October 11, 2019. EPA will consider all comments received on the draft risk evaluations by the October 11, 2019, deadline when developing the final risk evaluation. More information is available in our August 12, 2019, memorandum, “EPA Draft Risk Evaluation for 1-BP Finds Unreasonable Risks to Workers, Occupational Non-Users, Consumers, and Bystanders under Certain Specific Uses.”