Detailed below:
- How Were the TSCA Workplan Chemicals Selected?
- What Chemicals Will EPA Assess First?
- Will EPA Consider Chemicals not on the Work Plan?
How Were the TSCA Work Plan Chemicals Selected?
EPA conducted an online discussion forum and webinar in 2011 to gather stakeholder input on proposed criteria and data sources to be used for identifying chemicals for further assessment.The process EPA adopted emphasized focusing on chemicals that meet one or more of the following factors:
- Potentially of concern to children’s health (for example, because of reproductive or developmental effects)
- Neurotoxic effects
- Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT)
- Probable or known carcinogens
- Used in children’s products
- Detected in biomonitoring programs
- Whether the chemical was identified as a “High” ranking chemical.
- Whether the chemical reflects more than one of the factors identified in Step 1 (for example, chemicals that were identified as a potential concern for children’s health and also were persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic) and whether each of the factors was covered by the set of chemicals. These factors included health and environmental hazards, children’s health, use in consumer products and dispersive uses, persistence and bioaccumulation, and detection in biomonitoring and environmental monitoring.
- Whether certain chemicals, or groups of chemicals, would benefit from some preliminary work to assure that risk assessments are targeted and scoped appropriately, and therefore would best be addressed in an out year.
- Whether certain chemicals, or groups of chemicals, have previously been assessed and addressed by the Agency, so that risk assessment in later years may be more appropriate than in the earlier years of the work plan.
- Agency work load considerations, including scope and timing of work needed on specific chemicals, and existing commitments for assessment.
Access Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2011-0516 to read a summary of the webinar discussion and all unedited online comments.
What Chemicals Will EPA Assess in 2012?
EPA identified an initial group of seven of the 83 work plan chemicals for risk assessment in 2012. EPA will complete some of these assessments this year and initiate new assessments from the work plan in the coming years. The chemicals currently being assessed are:- Antimony and Antimony Compounds
- HHCB (1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyran)
- Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins
- Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins
- Methylene Chloride
- N-Methylpyrrolidone
- Trichloroethylene
This spring, the Agency plans to identify specific chemicals for which it plans to conduct risk assessment in 2013 and 2014.
EPA anticipates issuing draft risk assessments for public review and comment as they are completed. If an assessment indicates significant risk, EPA will evaluate and pursue appropriate risk reduction actions, as warranted. If an assessment indicates no significant risk, EPA will conclude its current work on that chemical. Over time, additional chemicals will be added to the work plan as more data are developed and more chemicals screened.
Will EPA Consider Chemicals Not on the Work Plan?
Identification of chemicals as Work Plan Chemicals does not mean that EPA would not consider other chemicals for risk assessment and potential risk management action under TSCA and other statutes. EPA will consider other chemicals if warranted by available information.EPA will also continue to use its TSCA information collection, testing, and subpoena authorities, including sections 4, 8, and 11(c) of TSCA, to develop needed information on additional chemicals that currently have less robust hazard or exposure data.
Original EPA notice found HERE.
