EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Updates to New Chemical Regulations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period for its proposed updates to new chemical regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), giving stakeholders more time to review and comment on the proposal.
The current comment period was set to close on July 25, 2023, and EPA is extending the comment period an additional 14 days. Comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2022-0902 on www.regulations.gov until August 8, 2023.
The proposed rule, published in May 2023, includes reforms that would improve the efficiency of the new chemical review process, such as clarifying the level of detail needed in new chemical notices and exercising EPA’s authority under TSCA to declare submissions incomplete and restart the review period, saving time and resources. Additionally, the proposal would align with the 2016 TSCA amendments under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by specifying that under the new law, EPA must make a determination on 100 percent of new chemical submissions.
The rule would also eliminate eligibility for certain exemptions for new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals. This would ensure new PFAS would go through the full, robust safety review process before they can enter commerce, consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to addressing the impact of PFAS and EPA’s 2021-2024 PFAS Strategic Roadmap.