DTSC Requests Public Comment on Another Draft of the Green Chemistry Regulations
California Green Chemistry Regulations: The saga of California’s nascent Green Chemistry program continues. Last week, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released the revised text (PDF) of its proposed Safer Consumer Product Regulations. The comment period for the revisions started on January 29 and closes on February 28, 2013. Notably, the revised rules significantly […]
EPA Assistant Administrator Steve Owens Resigns
EPA Administration/Chemical Regulation: On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the resignation of Assistant Administrator Steve Owens. Readers will recall that President Obama appointed Mr. Owens the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), which is the office implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal […]
EPA Publicly Discloses More Chemical Identities Claimed Confidential under TSCA
TSCA/CBI: On June 8, 2011, EPA announced the public disclosure of the identities of more than 150 chemicals contained in 104 health and safety studies that had been claimed confidential under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). For those 104 studies, the chemical identity will no longer be redacted, or kept from public view. According to EPA, the […]
EPA Denies Protection for Chemical Identities in TSCA 8(e) Reports
TSCA: As part of EPA’s initiative to increase transparency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), on February 10, 2011, the Agency sent a letter to five companies informing them that the identities of 14 chemicals contained in certain health and safety studies were ineligible for protection from public disclosure. The studies are “substantial risk” reports that the companies submitted […]
TSCA CBI – New Practices Adopted at EPA While Further Changes Are Debated in Congress
TSCA, TSCA Reform: Confidential Business Information (CBI) continues to be a focal point of the debates over improving implementation of the current version of TSCA, as well as amending the statute. Here’s a short update on where those debates currently stand. EPA Adopts New Practices under TSCA On May 27, 2009, EPA announced in a Federal Register notice that the Agency will […]
EPA Expands Public Access to Information on Chemicals
TSCA: On May 17, EPA issued a press release, announcing that it had added more than 6,300 chemicals and 3,800 facilities, regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), to the public database known as Envirofacts. The Agency said its action further demonstrated Administrator Lisa Jackson’s commitment to increasing public access to information on chemicals. The Envirofacts […]