{"id":37862,"date":"2023-01-30T11:46:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T12:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/?p=37862"},"modified":"2023-01-30T13:40:19","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T13:40:19","slug":"wrap-up-of-federal-and-state-chemical-regulatory-developments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/2023\/01\/30\/wrap-up-of-federal-and-state-chemical-regulatory-developments\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrap-Up of Federal and State Chemical Regulatory Developments …"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TSCA\/FIFRA\/TRI<\/p>\n

EPA Announces Removal Of PFAS Chemicals From Approved Inert Ingredient List For Pesticide Products:<\/em><\/strong> On December 14, 2022, EPA announced the removal of 12 chemicals from the current list of non-food inert ingredients<\/a> approved for use in pesticide products because the inert ingredients have been identified as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and are no longer used in any registered pesticide product. 87 Fed. Reg. 76488<\/a>. On September 13, 2022, EPA published a proposal<\/a> to remove the 12 chemicals from the list of approved inert ingredients. In response to EPA\u2019s request for comments, no specific information regarding those 12 chemical substances or any products that may include them was provided to EPA. For more information, please read our December 27, 2022, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Announces Updates To New Chemicals Review Program Web Page:<\/em><\/strong> On December 15, 2022, EPA announced<\/a> a redesign and updates to the statistics web page<\/a> for the New Chemicals Review Program. According to EPA, the update includes additional information and metrics on the Agency\u2019s review of new chemicals under TSCA, increasing transparency for the public, the regulated community, and other stakeholders. EPA will update the data displayed on the enhanced web page monthly. The web page provides More Detailed Breakdown of New Chemical Submissions; Status Tracker for New Chemical Exemptions; and Information on the New Chemicals Review Process. More information is available in our December 16, 2022, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Requests Nominations For Ad Hoc Reviewers To Assist SACC In Reviewing Phthalate Documents, Will Hold Meeting In May 2023:<\/em><\/strong> On December 21, 2022, EPA announced that it seeks public nominations of scientific and technical experts whom EPA can consider for service as ad hoc<\/em> reviewers assisting the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of two draft documents entitled \u201cDraft Proposed Principles of Cumulative Risk Assessment Under the Toxic Substances Control Act\u201d and \u201cDraft Proposed Approach for Cumulative Risk Assessment of High-Priority Phthalates and a Manufacturer Requested Phthalate Under the Toxic Substance Control Act.\u201d 87 Fed. Reg. 78103<\/a>. EPA states that it will submit the two draft documents to SACC and release them for public review and comment in late February 2023<\/strong>. Nominations are due January 20, 2023<\/strong>. The public virtual meeting will be held May 8 to 11, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to approximately 5:30 p.m. (EDT)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

EPA Finds Carbon Tetrachloride, As A Whole Chemical Substance, Poses An Unreasonable Risk To Human Health:<\/em><\/strong> EPA announced on December 27, 2022, the availability of the final revision to the risk determination for the carbon tetrachloride risk evaluation issued under TSCA. 87 Fed. Reg. 79303<\/a>. EPA determined that carbon tetrachloride, as a whole chemical substance, presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health when evaluated under its conditions of use (COU). EPA states that the revision to the risk determination reflects its announced policy changes to ensure the public is protected from unreasonable risks from chemicals in a way that is supported by science and the law. For more information, please read our December 28, 2022, memorandum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nonprofit Organizations File Suit Claiming That Plastic Containers Treated With Fluorine Gas Leach PFAS In Violation Of EPA Regulations:<\/em><\/strong> On December 27, 2022, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent Inhance Technologies USA from generating PFAS when fluorinating plastic containers. According to CEH and PEER\u2019s joint press release<\/a>, testing conducted by EPA, Notre Dame researchers, and other organizations \u201chas found PFAS chemicals on the inner and outer surfaces of fluorinated containers and in the contents of the containers. The PFAS in the containers are likely formed as a result of chemical reactions that occur during the fluorination process conducted by Inhance.\u201d According to the press release, Inhance \u201cconducts fluorination operations at several facilities in the U.S. and is the leading supplier of post-mold fluorination services\u201d in the United States. The press release notes that in 2020, EPA issued a significant new use rule (SNUR) under TSCA barring firms from producing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and certain other PFAS until EPA had been notified and determined whether the proposed uses of these PFAS might present an unreasonable risk to health. The press release states that \u201c[i\u200c]n this event, the law required EPA to ban or restrict the PFAS for these uses.\u201d According to the lawsuit, Inhance did not notify EPA in 2020 and has been subsequently manufacturing PFOA and other PFAS in violation of TSCA. CEH and PEER seek a court order restraining Inhance from continued manufacture of PFAS in violation of the SNUR, \u201crequiring it to stop all distribution of fluorinated containers in commerce until and unless TSCA requirements are met and directing it to inform purchasers and users of these containers of the dangers of exposure to PFOA and other PFAS.\u201d More information is available in our January 6, 2023, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA OIG Renders \u201cQualified\u201d Opinion On FYs 2020 And 2019 TSCA Service Fee Fund Financial Statements:<\/em><\/strong> On December 29, 2022, the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a report entitled The EPA\u2019s Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019 Toxic Substances Control Act Service Fee Fund Financial Statements<\/a>. OIG rendered a \u201cqualified opinion\u201d on EPA\u2019s fiscal years (FY) 2020 and 2019 TSCA Service Fee Fund financial statements, \u201cmeaning that, except for material errors in expenses and income from other appropriations, the fiscal years 2020 and 2019 financial statements were fairly presented.\u201d OIG notes one material weakness, stating that \u201cEPA materially understated the fiscal year 2019 \u2018Expenses from Other Appropriations\u2019 line item of the financial statements by nearly $25 million.\u201d OIG did not identify any instances of noncompliance that would result in a material misstatement to the audited financial statements. More information is available in our December 30, 2022, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Reopens Dockets For 20 High-Priority Substances:<\/em><\/strong> On January 3, 2023, EPA authorized reopening dockets for 20 chemicals<\/a> characterized in December 2019 as high-priority substances for risk evaluation. According to EPA\u2019s memorandum<\/a>, EPA is re-opening the dockets to receive additional information from the public. EPA states that it will use these data, and other information as appropriate, to inform the risk evaluation processes for these chemicals. Information should be submitted by July 3, 2023<\/strong>, since the dockets will close on this date.<\/p>\n

EPA Announces Next Test Order Issued Under National Testing Strategy For PFAS Used In Plastics, Chemical Manufacturing<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong> EPA announced<\/a> on January 4, 2023, that it issued the next TSCA test order requiring testing on PFAS under its the National PFAS Testing Strategy<\/a>. The test order requires companies to conduct and submit testing on trifluoro(trifluoromethyl)oxirane (HFPO), a perfluoroalkyl substance used in making plastics. EPA states that this is \u201cthe second test order under the strategy and the latest action taken under EPA\u2019s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront contamination from forever chemicals nationwide.\u201d According to the press release, EPA will use the information received under the order to improve its understanding of human health effects of HFPO, as well as \u201cthe effects of dozens of PFAS that are structurally similar to HFPO and in the same Testing Strategy category of PFAS, improving the agency\u2019s overall data on PFAS.\u201d More information will be available in our forthcoming memorandum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA\u2019s Fall 2022 Unified Agenda Includes Proposed And Final TSCA And TRI Rules:<\/em><\/strong> EPA\u2019s fall 2022 Unified Agenda, published on January 4, 2023, includes a number of proposed and final rulemakings under TSCA or the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). More information on the rulemakings, including links to our memoranda, is available in our January 17, 2023, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Announces Release Of New PFAS Analytic Tools, Holds Webinar On January 10:<\/em><\/strong> On January 5, 2023, EPA announced<\/a> the release of a new interactive web page on the \u201cPFAS Analytic Tools\u201d that provides information about PFAS across the country. EPA states that this information will help the public, researchers, and other stakeholders better understand potential PFAS sources in their communities. According to EPA, the PFAS Analytic Tools draw from multiple national databases and reports to consolidate information on one web page. The PFAS Analytic Tools include information on Clean Water Act (CWA) PFAS discharges from permitted sources; reported spills containing PFAS constituents; facilities historically manufacturing or importing PFAS; federally owned locations where PFAS are being investigated; transfers of PFAS-containing waste; PFAS detection in natural resources, such as fish or surface water; and drinking water testing results. EPA held a webinar to demonstrate the tools on January 10, 2023<\/strong>. More information is available in our January 9, 2023, blog item<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Opens Registration For January 18, 2023, Webinar On Reducing Vertebrate Animal Testing<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong> EPA announced<\/a> on January 5, 2023, that registration<\/a> is open for a January 18, 2023<\/strong>, webinar on reducing vertebrate animal testing using NAMs. EPA is partnering with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Science Consortium International and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to host public webinars on various topics related to reducing, refining, or replacing vertebrate animal testing. The January 18, 2023<\/strong>, webinar, \u201cFrameworks for Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methodologies: Part 2,\u201d is also part of PCRM\u2019s NAM Use for Regulatory Application DyNAMic Discussions webinar series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EPA Announces Automatic Addition Of Nine PFAS To TRI List:<\/em><\/strong> On January 6, 2023, EPA announced<\/a> the automatic addition of nine PFAS to the TRI list. EPA states that these PFAS were added to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides the framework for the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year in response to certain EPA activities involving such PFAS. For TRI Reporting Year 2023 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2024<\/strong>), reporting is required for nine additional PFAS, bringing the total PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 189. Because they are no longer confidential, pursuant to the NDAA, the following four chemicals were added to the TRI list:<\/p>\n