EPA Completes First 10 Risk Evaluations, Reaching Major Chemical Safety Milestone

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met a major chemical safety milestone by releasing the final risk evaluation for C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV29) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Under TSCA, the nation’s primary chemical management law, EPA is required to evaluate the risks associated with existing chemicals in commerce using the best available science and then take action to address any unreasonable risks identified. Today’s final risk findings complete the risk evaluation process required by TSCA for PV29 and marks the completion of the risk evaluation process for all the first 10 chemicals.

“Today’s announcement is a major milestone under TSCA that will enhance chemical safety and protect public health and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With this final risk evaluation, we have delivered on our commitment to complete a comprehensive review of the potential risks of chemicals in the marketplace under one of the nation’s most important chemical management laws, setting the stage for a great future of chemical safety.”

“Completing the first 10 TSCA risk evaluations was an enormous effort, representing countless hours of EPA experts’ time, hundreds of hours of outside peer review, thousands of public comments, and the review of innumerable scientific studies,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “Our final risk evaluations represent an invaluable contribution to chemical safety, serving as the guide for the actions EPA will take over the next few years to protect Americans from the risks found.”

EPA used feedback received from the public comment and the scientific peer review process carried out by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals to inform the final risk evaluation for PV29. The final risk evaluation for PV29 determined that there are unreasonable risks to workers from 10 out of 14 conditions of use. EPA found no unreasonable risks to the environment, consumers, or the general public.

The next step in the process required by TSCA is developing a plan to address the unreasonable risks identified in the final risk evaluation. EPA is moving immediately to risk management for this chemical and will work as quickly as possible to propose and finalize actions to protect against the unreasonable risks.

Potential actions EPA could take to address these risks include regulating how the chemical is used, or limiting or prohibiting the manufacture, processing, distribution in the marketplace, use, or disposal of this chemical, as applicable. As with any chemical product, EPA strongly recommends that users of products containing PV29 continue to carefully follow all instructions on the product’s label and safety data sheet.

View the PV29 final risk evaluation and supporting documents: https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/final-risk-evaluation-ci-pigment-violet-29