After reading the article below by Jeffery Morris, former Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), we were inspired to post it. We appreciate having the opportunity to share his analysis with our audience. TSCA as a Gap-Filling Statute: Potentially Exposed and Susceptible Subpopulations By Jeffery Morris, PhD In its response to public comments on the scope documents for its next twenty chemical risk evaluations conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ... read more >

On August 17, 2020, EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a report entitled Lack of Planning Risks EPA’s Ability to Meet Toxic Substances Control Act Deadlines. OIG conducted an audit to determine whether EPA met the deadlines already imposed by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act) in 2016, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and whether EPA has the staff, resources, and management controls in place to meet future statutory deadlines. OIG found that while EPA met several of its TSCA deadlines, it did not ... read more >

From June 15-19, 2020, the American Chemical Society (ACS) will be hosting its annual Green Chemistry and Engineering (GC&E) Conference virtually. On June 15, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EDT), during the “Enabling a Circular Economy for Materials in the Consumer Goods Industry,” Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., B&C’s Director of Chemistry, will proudly present his abstract titled “Road-map for Innovators - Commercialization in a Circular Economy.” In addition, Engler will present a poster titled “TSCA Tutor -- The Importance of Regulatory Awareness ... read more >

EPA announced on June 1, 2020, the availability of the latest Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory. EPA notes that this biannual update to the public TSCA Inventory is part of its regular posting of non-confidential TSCA Inventory data. EPA plans the next regular update of the Inventory for early 2021. According to EPA, the Inventory contains 86,405 chemicals, of which 41,587 are active in the United States commerce. Other updates to the TSCA Inventory include updates to commercial activity data and regulatory flags, such as consent orders and significant new use rules ... read more >

On May 28, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the issuance of the final rule amending the definition of small manufacturer, including a new definition for small government in accordance with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Effective June 29, 2020, these amendments affect certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements in the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule under ... read more >

From the current impacts of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) on science policies to challenges faced by industry, Lautenberg Implementation continues to evolve even four years after becoming law. B&C, The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health are pleased to present “TSCA Reform -- Four Years Later,” a complimentary virtual seminar bringing together government and industry officials to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges since the implementation of the 2016 Lautenberg Amendments ... read more >

One of several changes to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule, issued in final on April 9, 2020, is that in the 2020 cycle, EPA has changed the way that toll manufacturing must be reported. In this cycle, EPA will not accept reporting from only the contracting manufacturer in situations where a company contracts with another company (i.e., a toll manufacturer) for the production of chemicals. As in years’ past, EPA states in its final rule that if no report is filed, both the contracting and producing companies will be held liable if no reporting ... read more >

On May 12, 2020, EPA released the signed final rule updating the definition of small manufacturers, including a new definition of what is considered a small government, used to determine reporting and recordkeeping requirements under TSCA. According to EPA, the updated definitions will reduce reporting burdens on chemical manufacturers and small governments while maintaining the Agency’s ability to receive the information it needs to understand exposure to chemical substances manufactured in the United States. The final rule makes a technical correction to the small manufacturer ... read more >

EPA will host a webinar on May 19, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT) to provide an overview of the 2020 CDR requirements. The webinar will include information about the revised reporting requirements, including: New requirements for making confidential business information (CBI) claims; Reporting refinements related to byproducts, including exemptions; Phasing in certain processing and use data codes; and Process improvements for reporting co-manufacturing. The webinar will also introduce the updated e-CDRweb reporting tool. EPA notes that the presentation will be similar to the ... read more >

The 2020 GlobalChem webinar series addresses major developments in chemicals management and provides participants a chance to engage with policymakers and other key experts throughout the chemical industry value chain. On May 13, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. (EDT), Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will present during the “TSCA New Chemicals” webinar. Other presenters include Lynn Dekleva, Ph.D., Associate Deputy Assistant Administrator for New Chemicals, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and ... read more >