EPA Issues Proposed Rule on TSCA Inventory “Reset”

According to the EPA, there are currently over 85,000 chemicals on EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory (Inventory), many of which are no longer actively produced. On January 13, 2017, the EPA published a proposed rule to reset the TSCA Inventory into separate lists of “active” and “inactive” substances (i.e., inventory reset). EPA is proposing to require use of the Agency’s electronic reporting portal, Central Data Exchange (CDX), for notification under this rule. The proposal details notification requirements and establishes exemptions and procedures for handling confidentiality claims.

The notification, to be entered into CDX no later than 180 days after the final rule is published, is retrospective in nature and is required for substances listed on the Inventory and that were manufactured or imported into the U.S. for non-exempt commercial purposes in the last ten years (between June 21, 2006 and June 21, 2016). Notifications for substances that were “processed” during this period would not be required, however, the proposal allows processors to report no later than 360 days after the final rule is published.

Properly notified substances would be designated by EPA as “active,” whereas substances without a valid notification would be designated as “inactive.”

Once designated, “inactive” substances could not properly be manufactured, imported, or processed for a non-exempt commercial purpose under TSCA. Thus, EPA also is proposing “forward-looking” procedures for notifying inactive substances if and when non-exempt manufacture, import, or processing would resume in the future. Properly notified substances would be converted by EPA to “active” substances.

TSCA Section 8 requires EPA to compile an “interim list” of active substances before promulgation of the final rule. The proposed rule would not require manufacturers to report chemical substances that are on the “interim list.” Indeed, in the proposal, manufacturers and processors of chemical substances on the non-confidential portion of the Inventory would be exempt from reporting if the manufacture of that chemical substance was already reported (by any party) in response to 2012 or 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR).

Comments on the proposal must be received by March 14, 2017.