New EPA Rule Requires Health, Safety Data Reporting for 50 Chemicals

A new final rule published by EPA on June 29 requires manufacturers and importers of 50 chemicals to report data from certain unpublished health and safety studies to the agency. The chemicals affected by this action include 20 chemicals designated by EPA as “high-priority” substances that are being evaluated for risk under the Toxic Substances Control Act and 30 organohalogen flame retardants being evaluated for health risks by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The new rule also requires manufacturers to submit to EPA unpublished studies on occupational, general population, and consumer exposure for these chemicals.

According to EPA, information on the 20 high-priority substances will be used to inform the agency’s ongoing risk evaluations to determine whether the chemicals’ current conditions of use present unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. Data about the flame retardants will help EPA prioritize these chemicals for risk evaluation and assist CPSC in reviewing the use of the chemicals in consumer products.

Among the 20 high-priority substances are formaldehyde and 1,3-butadiene, which is mainly used in the production of synthetic rubber. A full list of the 50 chemicals, including the organohalogen flame retardants, can be found in the text of the final rule.

For more information, see EPA’s webpage on health and safety data reporting for these chemicals.