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On May 3, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to prohibit most uses of methylene chloride under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 88 Fed. Reg. 28284. EPA states in its April 20, 2023, press release that its unreasonable risk determination for methylene chloride was driven by risks associated with workers, occupational non-users (ONU), consumers, and those in close proximity to a consumer use. EPA identified risks for adverse human...

May 17, 202311:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDTREGISTER NOW The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has advanced groundbreaking science policy initiatives in furtherance of implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As EPA advances New Approach Methodologies (NAM), cumulative risk assessment methodologies, and systematic review procedures, chemical stakeholders must understand directionally how these initiatives are influencing...

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a virtual public preparatory meeting for the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) members, ad hoc reviewers, and the public to comment on and ask questions regarding the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions to be used for the May 8-11, 2023, review of two draft documents related to cumulative risk assessment under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As reported in our March 1,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 30, 2020, that it is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profits to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SER) to provide advice and recommendations to two Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panels.  One Panel will focus on EPA’s development of a proposed rule to address unreasonable risks identified in EPA’s recently completed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation for...

On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released its final investigative report into “a massive fire and explosions” at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that occurred in June 2019. According to CSB, the incident occurred when a corroded pipe elbow ruptured, releasing process fluid into the refinery’s hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation unit. CSB states that over 5,000 pounds of “highly toxic” HF were released, “a...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 24, 2022, that it is extending the public comment period for the April 12, 2022, proposed rule that would prohibit ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos to give stakeholders more time to review the proposed regulation and prepare comments. EPA is extending the comment period an additional 30 days, from June 13, 2022, to July 13, 2022. As reported in our April 7, 2022, memorandum, the proposed rule would ban chrysotile asbestos,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on April 12, 2022, to prohibit ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently imported into the United States. 87 Fed. Reg. 21706. EPA proposes under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit manufacture (including import), processing, distribution in commerce, and commercial use of chrysotile asbestos in bulk or as part of chrysotile asbestos diaphragms used in the chlor-alkali...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 14, 2022, that it will reopen the comment period for its draft revision to the risk determination for the cyclic aliphatic bromide cluster (HBCD) risk evaluation issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As reported in our December 29, 2021, memorandum, EPA is reconsidering two key aspects of the risk determinations for HBCD. First, EPA proposes that the appropriate approach to these determinations under TSCA and...

On December 16, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a proposed rule under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) on asbestos (part 1: chrysotile asbestos). According to an item in the fall 2021 Unified Agenda, the TSCA Section 6(a) rulemaking is needed to address the unreasonable risks of chrysotile asbestos that were identified in a risk evaluation completed under TSCA Section 6(b). EPA reviewed...

On December 10, 2021, the Biden Administration released its Fall 2021 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule list, the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) is working on the following rulemakings under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Rulemakings at the proposed stage include: Tiered Data Reporting to Inform Prioritization, Risk Evaluation, and Risk Management Under TSCA...