4 TSCA Updates for Chemical Industry Pros

Update 07/07/2022
EPA is working to revise many of the TSCA chemical risk determinations completed in 2020. A draft of the revised TCE Risk Determination was announced on July 7, 2022. EPA will accept public comments on the draft revision until August 8. 

A revised Risk Determination for Pigment Violet 29 (PV29) was released in March 2022. 

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Posted 11/23/2020
EPA is progressing on chemical risk evaluations required under TSCA at a fast and furious pace. This month brought four TSCA-related announcements that chemical manufacturers, distributors, and users should be aware of.

Since October 30, EPA has extended the deadline for CDR submission, released a final TSCA risk evaluation for trichloroethylene (TCE), revised its draft risk evaluation for PV 29, and performed supplemental analysis on its 1,4-dioxane risk evaluation. 

 

EPA Extends Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) Deadline 

US EPA will extend the deadline for Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) submission until January 29, 2021. 

EPA posted a notice of the extension to the Federal Register on November 25, 2020.

The TSCA CDR submission period typically ends on September 30. Earlier this year, the deadline to report was extended until November 30. Stakeholders requested additional time due to technical issues they experienced with EPA's electronic reporting tool, e-CDRweb, so EPA extended the CDR reporting deadline again. 

Read more: Who Must Submit the TSCA CDR?

Final Risk Evaluation for TCE

EPA's final chemical risk evaluation for Trichloroethylene (TCE) appeared in the Federal Register on November 24, 2020. 

EPA found unreasonable risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders in 52 of the 54 use cases studied across manufacturing, processing, and use of TCE. EPA found no unreasonable risk to the environment. With the final risk evaluation complete, EPA now has two years to create new restrictions or protections to address the risks identified for TCE.

Final Risk Evaluation for TCE

Revised Draft: C.I. Pigment Violet 29

US EPA released a revised draft risk evaluation for C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV 29) on October 30 and extended the comment period for twenty days, until December 19, 2020.

Revised Draft Risk Evaluation for PV 29

Supplemental Analysis: 1,4-Dioxane

EPA requested public comment on a supplemental analysis to its draft risk evaluation for 1,4-dioxane.

EPA reviewed eight additional consumer uses where 1,4-dioxane is present as a byproduct, none of which were covered in the initial draft risk evaluation. Uses EPA studied include surface cleaners, detergents, and paints and lacquers. EPA found no unreasonable risk for any of the additional eight additional uses analyzed.

Supplemental Analysis and Draft Risk Evaluation for 1,4-Dioxane

Risk Evaluations Will Keep Coming 

Since the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, also known as LCA or the "Lautenberg Law," amended TSCA, the law requires US EPA to evaluate the risks posed by all chemicals listed on the TSCA Inventory. If EPA's risk evaluation identifies unreasonable risk to the environment or human health the agency must create new restrictions on the manufacture, processing, or use of that chemical. 

Find more updates on EPA's ongoing effort to evaluate the risks of all chemicals on the TSCA inventory in our blog.

Last of 2020! Dec. 2–3 | Complete EPA Regulations Training

This unique two-day webinar covers the latest environmental regulations you should be familiar with for 2021: 

• EPA's new Waters of the US (WOTUS) Rule
• Major Lautenberg Law amendments to TSCA
• CSB's new chemical release reporting rule 
• The latest Clean Air Act requirements for facilities 

Join a Lion instructor live on December 2–3 to get a strong handle on the EPA requirements that impact your facility, how these programs fit together, and what you must do to comply.  
 
Or learn at your own pace with these two easy-to-use online courses: 
Complete Environmental Regulations Online Course
TSCA Regulations Online Course

Tags: environmental compliance, lautenberg, TSCA