EPA lists first 10 chemicals to be evaluated under Toxic Substances Control Act

Following recent reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the first 10 chemicals that it will evaluate under the new framework.

Under the TSCA reforms driven by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the agency will evaluate the following chemicals, selected based on their inclusion on the 2014 TSCA Work Plan: 1,4-dioxane; 1-bromopropane; asbestos; carbon tetrachloride; cyclic aliphatic bromide cluster; methylene; chloride; N-methylpyrrolidone; pigment violet 29; tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene; and trichloroethylene.

“Under the new law, we now have the power to require safety reviews of all chemicals in the marketplace,” Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Jim Jones said. “We can ensure the public that we will deliver on the promise to better protect public health and the environment.”

The 2014 TSCA Work Plan identifies 90 chemicals with potential for high hazard and exposure. The TSCA reforms require the EPA to publish its list of chemicals for evaluation in the Federal Register by Dec. 19, at which point the agency must complete its risk evaluation for the chemicals within a three-year period. The agency must also release a scoping document for each chemical within the next six months.