The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is meeting another statutory requirement under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by proposing to designate 20 chemical substances as High-Priority Substances for upcoming risk evaluations. The proposed designation is a required step in a new process of reviewing chemical substances currently in commerce under the amended TSCA.
“By proposing to prioritize 20 chemicals for risk evaluation, EPA is realizing another one of the key requirements of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act,†said Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “Taking public comment will help advance our understanding about how these chemicals are used in commerce and brings EPA one step closer to completing the prioritization process.â€
EPA is issuing designation documents for each chemical substance describing the chemical-specific information, analysis and basis EPA used to support the proposed designation. Today’s 20 proposed chemicals are the same the agency identified in March as potential High-Priority Substances. The agency is asking stakeholders and the public to submit comments by November 21, 2019
The 20 proposed high-priority candidate chemicals include seven chlorinated solvents, six phthalates, four flame retardants, formaldehyde, a fragrance additive, and a polymer precursor.
EPA is required to complete the prioritization process and make final designations for 20 High-Priority Substances by December 2019. Finalizing these designations will begin the three-year risk evaluation process to determine if they present an unreasonable risk to health or the environment under the conditions of use. If the agency determines any substance presents an unreasonable risk, it is required under TSCA to undertake risk mitigation – a regulatory action.
Last week, EPA designated another 20 chemicals as Low-Priority Substances as part of the prioritization process. A low-priority designation, when final, means these substances do not require risk evaluation at this time in EPA’s determination.
