The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 8, 2020, that it received a complete manufacturer request for EPA to conduct a risk evaluation of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) from Dow Silicones Corporation, Elkem Silicones USA Corporation, Evonik Corporation, Momentive Performance Materials, Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc., and Wacker Chemical Corporation through the American Chemistry Council’s Silicones Environmental, Health, and Safety Center. EPA states that...
April 7, 2020
Comments on TSCA Collaborative Research Program to Support New Chemicals Due May 10, 2022
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed a March 29, 2022, memorandum correcting the deadline for public comment on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Collaborative Research Program to Support New Chemicals. The memorandum states that EPA is clarifying the deadline because the February 25, 2022, Federal Register notice erroneously referenced two different dates. The 60-day comment period on the supporting technical document began when EPA added the document to the...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 6, 2020, that the first set of draft scope documents for the next group of chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is available for comment. As reported in our December 20, 2019, memorandum, EPA designated these chemicals as a high priority for risk evaluation in December 2019. According to EPA, seeking public input on the conditions of use to be included in the risk...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 6, 2020, that the first set of draft scope documents for the next group of chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is available for comment. EPA released draft scope documents for 13 of the next 20 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation, and stated that it will soon release and accept public comments on the seven remaining draft scope documents. According to EPA, the scope...
On April 3, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted an interactive telephone call with U.S. retailers and third-party marketplace platforms to discuss imposter disinfectant products and those that falsely claim to be effective against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. EPA hosted the call due to recent complaints on the availability of products with unsubstantiated and potentially dangerous claims of protection against SARS-CoV-2 and has enlisted...
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has posted two posters from the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) on 3D printing: 3D Printing with Filaments: Health and Safety Questions to Ask and 3D Printing with Metal Powders: Health and Safety Questions to Ask. The posters provide health and safety questions with different control options and information intended to reduce exposure to potential hazards. The questions...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 2, 2020, that it sent a letter to all members of Congress to correct the record on its temporary policy regarding enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA states that “[a]s should be apparent to anyone who reads the policy, allegations that EPA ‘will cease all enforcement actions during the coronavirus pandemic’ and that the temporary policy...
April 3, 2020
EPA Announced New Surface Disinfectant Products Added to List N in Effort to Combat COVID-19
On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the addition of new surface disinfectants on EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (List N) that may be used to combat SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. List N now contains 357 products. The webpage for List N also now has enhanced functionality to allow users to sort these products by surface type and use site. EPA states that it continues to expedite...
April 3, 2020
EPA Requests SAB And SAB Standing Committee Nominations
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is now accepting nominations of scientific experts to be considered for appointment to its Science Advisory Board (SAB) and four SAB standing committees. EPA is seeking candidates from a wide range of disciplines including analytical chemistry, forestry, modeling, toxicology, and benefit-cost analysis, among many others. The four SAB standing committees seeking...
By Lynn L. Bergeson On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested written stakeholder input on objectives and opportunities leading to research goals and informed product goals to facilitate transformative breakthroughs that enable U.S. agriculture to meet its goal of increasing agricultural production by 40 percent by 2050.