EPA Lists Chemicals for Risk Evaluation, Expedited Action under Reformed TSCA

The first ten chemicals to be evaluated for potential risks are:

1,4-Dioxane

1-Bromopropane

Asbestos

Carbon Tetrachloride

Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster

Methylene Chloride

N-methylpyrrolidone

Pigment Violet 29

Tetrachloroethylene, also known as Perchloroethylene

Trichloroethylene

There is a statutory deadline to complete risk evaluations for these chemicals within three years.  If it is determined that a chemical presents an unreasonable risk to humans or the environment, EPA must mitigate that risk within two years.  Within six months, EPA will release a scoping document for each chemical which includes the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations.

The five PBT chemicals to receive expedited action are:

Decabromodiphenyl ethers (DecaBDE)

Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)

Pentachlorothio-phenol (PCTP)

Tris (4-isopropylphenyl) phosphate

2,4,6-Tris(tert-butyl)phenol

The statutory deadline for EPA to propose action for these chemicals is June 22, 2019.  After identifying the uses and exposures to these chemicals, the Agency will move directly to propose limitations on their use.  PBT chemicals are of particular concern because they remain in the environment for significant periods of time and concentrate in the organisms exposed to them.

For more information visit EPA’s Assessing and Managing Chemicals under TSCA Webpage.