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August 30, 2017

EPA Webinar on PBT Chemicals under TSCA Provides Comment Opportunity

Lynn L. Bergeson Carla N. Hutton

As reported in our August 25, 2017, blog item, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on September 7, 2017, on its process for gathering use and exposure information on five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  EPA will provide background on new requirements for regulating certain PBT chemicals and explain how interested parties can provide use information to EPA on these five chemicals:

  • Decabromodiphenyl ethers (DecaBDE), used as a flame retardant in textiles, plastics, wiring insulation, and building and construction materials;
  • Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), used as a solvent in the manufacture of rubber compounds and as hydraulic, heat transfer, or transformer fluid;
  • Pentachlorothiophenol (PCTP), used as a mercaptan (sulfur) cross-linking agent to make rubber more pliable in industrial uses;
  • Phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1), used as a flame retardant in consumer products and as lubricant, hydraulic fluid, and other industrial uses; and
  • 2,4,6-Tris(tert-butyl) phenol, an antioxidant that can be used as a fuel, oil, gasoline, or lubricant additive.

Due to significant interest in the webinar, EPA is requesting information from participants who would like to offer public input following the EPA presentation, in an effort to accommodate as many commenters as possible.  If you would like to speak following the presentation, please send an e-mail to Cappuccilli.eva@epa.gov by Tuesday, September 5, 2017, that includes the following information:

  • Your name;
  • The organization you represent; and
  • The PBT chemical on which you will speak.

EPA has established public dockets for each of the chemicals to facilitate receipt of information on exposure and use that may be useful to EPA’s rulemaking effort.  EPA requests that any information be submitted to the dockets by December 9, 2017, so that the information can inform any regulatory action.