EPA's Chief Hails Chemical Safety Progress
On the first anniversary of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, he said EPA has met its first-year implementation milestones under the law, having issued three new rules, provided a guidance document for external parties, and released scoping documents for the first 10 risk evaluations that will be conducted.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on June 22, the one-year anniversary of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, announced that EPA has met its first-year implementation milestones under the law, having issued three new rules, provided a guidance document for external parties, and released scoping documents for the first 10 risk evaluations that will be conducted.
"The activities we are announcing today demonstrate this administration's commitment to providing regulatory certainty to American businesses while protecting human health and the environment," he said. "The new process for evaluating existing chemicals outlined in these rules will increase public confidence in chemical safety without stifling innovation."
The law updated the Toxic Substances Control Act. EPA had completed these tasks as of the anniversary:
- Finalized a rule to establish EPA's process and criteria for identifying high-priority chemicals for risk evaluation and low-priority chemicals for which risk evaluation isn't needed. In response to public comments, the rule affirms EPA's commitment to following the best available science, engaging stakeholders in the prioritization process, and recognizing the value of designating chemicals as low priority when appropriate.
- Finalized a rule to establish EPA's process for evaluating high-priority chemicals to determine whether or not they present an unreasonable risk to health or the environment.
- Finalized a rule to require industry reporting of chemicals manufactured or processed in the United States during the past 10 years. The reporting will be used to identify which chemical substances on the TSCA Inventory are active in U.S. commerce and will help inform the chemicals EPA prioritizes for risk evaluation.
- Released scope documents for the initial 10 chemicals for risk evaluation under the amended law. The 10, published by the agency in December 2016, are asbestos, 1-Bromopropane, carbon tetrachloride, 1, 4 Dioxane, Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (HBCD), methylene chloride, N-Methylpyrolidone, perchloroethylene, Pigment Violet 29, and trichloroethylene.