New EPCRA TRI Website
EPCRA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI): On November 19, 2012, EPA rolled out a new website to provide information on how industrial facilities are preventing releases of chemicals. The site shows how industry is making progress in reducing releases reported under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (ECPCRA). The site and additional information about the […]
EPA to Post List of Chemicals Acceptable for DfE-labeled Products
Design for the Environment (DfE) / Green Chemistry: EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) team announced today that, in September, it will post on the agency’s website a list of chemicals that are acceptable for use in DfE-labeled products. Questions or comments about the proposal should be submitted to EPA by August 24, 2012. The contact at […]
Reminder: Upcoming Meeting of California's Green Ribbon Science Panel
Green Chemistry Regulations: California’s Green Ribbon Science Panel (GRSP), the expert body established to advise the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on green chemistry and the regulation of consumer products, will convene in Sacramento on November 14 (all day) and 15 (morning only) to discuss the latest informal draft of the so-called Safer Consumer […]
Department of Interior to Issue Rules Requiring Disclosure of Chemicals Used in Fracking
Right-to-Know/Transparency: According to Reuters, on Monday, October 31, 2011, Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI), David Hayes, told the Department of Energy’s shale-gas advisory panel that DOI will issue rules “in a couple of months” requiring the disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” on federal lands. Fracking is the controversial technique that involves injecting a mixture of water, […]
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 Publishes Rule to Improve Reporting of Chemical Information – Chemical Data Reporting Rule, Formerly Inventory Update Rule
TSCA – Inventory Update Rule: Readers may recall a post from this time last year concerning EPA’s proposal to revise TSCA’s Inventory Update Rule. Well, the Agency has now published the final version, which is available here. Also, here are links to commentary on the rule from Environmental Defense and the National Petrochemical and Refiners’ Assocation, which […]
EU Environmental Law Group Releases Reports on Member State Implementation and Enforcement of REACh
REACh: The EU public interest environmental law group, ClientEarth, recently released a series of progress reports summarizing Member State activities under the European Union (EU) regulation: Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACh). Each report reviews a different Member State’s efforts to implement and enforce REACh. Reports also are available for three non-Member State countries that have enacted REACh – Lichtenstein, Norway, […]
ATSDR Announces Development of the Set 24 Toxicological Profiles
ATSDR: On September 9, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the Department of Health and Human Services announced the development of the Set 24 Toxicological Profiles. According to the Federal Register notice, the profiles will be available to the public for review and comment on or about October 17, 2010. ATSDR develops these profiles […]
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 […]