Archives

May 19, 2020

NGOs State That EPA Fails to Meet Regulatory Requirements

As we noted in our May 15, 2020, blog item “NGOs Ask EPA to Revise Draft Scope Documents to Comply with TSCA and EPA Regulations,” Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families filed comments on May 13, 2020, stating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 20 draft scope documents released on April 9 and April 23, 2020, fail to meet Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and EPA...
May 15, 2020

NGOs Ask EPA to Revise Draft Scope Documents to Comply with TSCA and EPA Regulations

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families filed comments on May 13, 2020, stating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 20 draft scope documents released on April 9 and April 23, 2020, fail to meet Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and EPA regulatory requirements.  According to EDF’s May 14, 2020, blog item, the non-governmental organizations (NGO) called on EPA to revise the...
May 12, 2020

SACC Will Peer Review Draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos in June

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 11, 2020, that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) will meet from June 8 to 11, 2020, to peer review the draft risk evaluation for asbestos.  The public meeting will be virtual, with participation by phone and webcast only.  There will be no in-person gathering for this meeting.  EPA postponed the previously announced virtual meeting for SACC to review...
May 4, 2020

Comments on Draft Perchloroethylene Risk Evaluation Due July 6

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice on May 4, 2020, announcing the availability of and soliciting public comment on the draft Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation of perchloroethylene.  85 Fed. Reg. 26464.  EPA states that it is also submitting the same document to the TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) for peer review and is announcing that there will be two virtual public meetings of the TSCA SACC, with...
April 27, 2020

EPA Seeks Comment on Draft Risk Evaluation of Perchloroethylene

On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the draft risk evaluation of perchloroethylene.  Perchloroethylene is the last of the first ten chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  EPA’s draft risk evaluation preliminarily found unreasonable risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, bystanders, and the environment from certain uses.  EPA states that the primary health risk identified in the draft...
April 23, 2020

Comments on Second Batch of Draft Scope Documents Due June 8

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice on April 23, 2020, announcing the availability of the draft scope documents for the risk evaluations to be conducted for the remaining seven of the 20 high-priority substances designated in December 2019.  85 Fed. Reg. 22733.  The draft scope document for each chemical substance includes the conditions of use, hazards, exposures, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations that EPA plans to...
April 21, 2020

EPA Postpones SACC Meeting on Asbestos

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has postponed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) peer review virtual meeting scheduled for April 27-30, 2020, due to recent changes in the availability of SACC members for the review.  EPA states that given the importance of the draft risk evaluation for asbestos, it believes that “rescheduling for a time when more members are available is critical and will allow for a more robust...
April 20, 2020

Second Set of Draft Scope Documents Available for Public Comment

On April 17, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the second set of draft scope documents for the seven remaining chemicals designated as high-priority substances for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  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...
April 17, 2020

EPA Holds Calls on Plan to Reduce Burden for Certain Stakeholders Subject to TSCA Fees Rule Requirements for EPA-Initiated Risk Evaluations

On April 16, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a call on its recently announced plan to reduce the burden for certain stakeholders subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) fees rule requirements for EPA-initiated risk evaluations.  The call covered: EPA announced on March 25, 2020, that plans to initiate a new rulemaking process to consider proposing exemptions to the current rule’s self-identification requirements associated with...
April 9, 2020

EPA Will Host April 16 Call on TSCA Fees for EPA-Initiated Risk Evaluations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a call on April 16, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on its recently announced plan to reduce burden for certain stakeholders subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) fees rule requirements for EPA-initiated risk evaluations.  The call will cover: EPA asks stakeholders to submit questions by April 14, 2020, to Ben Dyson, dyson.benjamin@epa.gov, and EPA will address them during the call. ...