EPA Reminds Companies of November 1 Deadline to Submit CBI Substantiations for NOA Form A
On October 16, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminded companies that if they filed a retrospective activity notice (Notice of Activity (NOA) Form A) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Rule and claimed the specific chemical identity as confidential business information (CBI), they have until November 1, 2020, to submit or amend their CBI substantiations. Companies that amend, update, or file new CBI substantiations must do so electronically via EPA’s Central Data Exchange.
Background
On March 6, 2020, EPA promulgated a final rule on procedures for review of CBI claims made under TSCA. The final rule includes the requirements for regulated entities to substantiate certain CBI claims made under TSCA to protect the specific chemical identities of chemical substances on the confidential portion of the TSCA Inventory, and EPA’s plan for reviewing certain CBI claims for specific chemical identities. The substantiation requirements describe the applicable procedures and provide instructions for regulated entities. EPA sets out the review criteria and related procedures that it will use to complete the reviews within the five-year timeframe set in TSCA. More information is available in our February 28, 2020, memorandum, “EPA Releases Final Rule on Procedures for Review of CBI Claims for the Identity of Chemicals on the TSCA Inventory.”