EPA Requests Public Comment on Revision of Current Size Standard Definitions Under TSCA
On December 15, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice requesting public comment on whether a revision of the current size standard definitions for small manufacturers and processors, that are used in connection with reporting regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), is warranted at this time. Under amended TSCA Section 8(a)(3)(C), the EPA Administrator, after consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), is required to “(i) review the adequacy of the standards prescribed under subparagraph (B); and (ii) after providing public notice and an opportunity for comment, make a determination as to whether revision of the standards is warranted.”
EPA states in the notice that its preliminary determination is that revisions to currently codified size standards for TSCA Section 8(a) are indeed warranted due to “the magnitude of the increase in the [Producer Price Index (PPI) for Chemicals and Allied Products] since the last revision of the size standards and the current annual sales standard is comparatively low given current revenue-based size standards developed by SBA.”
The need to review and update the definition is long overdue. Stakeholders have been seeking a more appropriate definition for years recognizing that the existing metric is dated and has not kept pace with the passage of time, posing unintended regulatory consequences. EPA is to be commended for its rapid response to yet another new TSCA mandate.