Yesterday, EPA announced updates to ChemView, its public online tool for accessing information about chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The updates include enhanced data functions as well as updated, more comprehensive information.
The improved data functions include:
- Improving the display and content for the Chemical Data Reporting information;
- Adding a new link that displays the pollution prevention information generated as part of the Toxics Release Inventory program; and
- Launching an administrative tool that will save EPA resources by streamlining the loading of future information.
ChemView’s databases were updated with the following new information:
- 244 consent orders;
- An additional 1,205 Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) for new and existing chemicals;
- 16 additional chemicals with test rule data, and
- Updates to the Safer Chemicals Ingredient List (part of the agency’s Design for Environment program).
In EPA’s press release, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Jim Jones explained that the agency was acting since Congress’ attempts to reform TSCA have so far been unsuccessful: “In the absence of TSCA reform, EPA is moving ahead to improve access to chemical health and safety information, and increase the dialogue to help the public choose safer ingredients used in everyday products.”
With the updates, ChemView now covers 10,000 chemicals and includes for the first time consent orders and new chemical SNURs. ChemView was first launched in 2013 to improve the availability of information on existing chemicals by displaying “key health and safety information and uses data in a format that allows quick understanding.”