On June 22, 2016, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), was signed into law, making it the nation’s new primary chemicals management law.
According to the EPA, the new law, which received bipartisan support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, includes much needed improvements such as:
- Mandatory requirement for EPA to evaluate existing chemicals with clear and enforceable deadlines;
- New risk-based safety standard;
- Increased public transparency for chemical information; and
- Consistent source of funding for EPA to carry out the responsibilities under the new law.
One year later, on June 22, 2017, EPA announced the required implementation activities. Those activities included finalization of a rule to require industry to report chemicals manufactured, imported, or processed in the U.S. over the past 10 years. This reporting will be used to identify which chemical substances on the TSCA Inventory are active in U.S. commerce and will help determine the chemicals EPA prioritizes for risk evaluation. Read more: https://www.epa.gov/tsca-inventory/tsca-inventory-notification-active-inactive-rule.
The Final Rule (TSCA Inventory Notification (Active/Inactive) Rule) was published on August 11, 2017. Supplier companies will have 180 days to report all chemicals manufactured or imported during the past 10-year period. (See further below for specifics applying to processing companies.) A number of chemical substances are excluded, such as naturally occurring substances, mixtures, exempt polymers, articles, R&D substances, etc. There is a section of the standard 40 CFR 710.26 outlining Chemical substances for which information is not required: https://www.epa.gov/tsca-inventory/list-active-substances-exempt-tsca-inventory-notifications-active-inactive-rule#download.
EPA has published the interim Active TSCA Inventory using reporting from the 2012 and 2016 Chemical Data Reporting cycles: https://www.epa.gov/tsca-inventory/how-access-tsca-inventory.
The regulated community is required to add all other active Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) registration numbers that were manufactured or imported during the 10-year retrospective period to the active list. Companies are responsible for identifying all chemical substances that are known or reasonably ascertainable.
Companies that are only chemical processors have an additional 240 days to review the interim Active TSCA Inventory and report any additional chemicals that may have been overlooked by their suppliers. The Notice of Activity Form A will be used for retrospective reporting and the Notice of Activity Form B will be used for forward-looking reporting. Forms will need to be submitted via the EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX).
Companies that fail to report are in violation of TSCA Section 15 and may be subject to penalties (40 CFR 711.1(c)).
If you would benefit from having someone examine this new Rule and how it may affect your reporting requirements for the substances you manufacture, import, or process, please contact the author, Scott K. Wilson, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM, at swilson@cecinc.com; 630-963-6026.
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