Lynn L. Bergeson and EPA Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn Discuss What to Expect from New TSCA in 2020 as Chemical Risk Evaluations Ramp Up

On March 2, 2020, at ChemCon The Americas 2020 in Philadelphia, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®), and Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, sat down with Tjeerd Bokhout to discuss the implementation of Lautenberg and what can be expected through 2020.  Ms. Dunn started off the discussion, noting that EPA is “getting our sea legs under us; we spent the first two or three years after enactment, really through 2019, setting up the bones of the program, the regulations, the structure, the fees rule, and now we’ve begun the deep process of looking at each chemical [for risk evaluation].” The conversation continued with discussion regarding how chemicals are selected for evaluation, surprises EPA encountered while making low-priority determinations, and what can be expected through the remainder of 2020.  Ms. Dunn and Ms. Bergeson agreed that as more chemicals go through this review process, the quantity and type of information needed will standardize, leading to more predictability for all stakeholders.  Now that a system is evolving, EPA plans to identify data gaps early to provide time to strategize how to acquire as much information as is required to evaluate properly a chemical on schedule and with minimal additional costs.

A full video of this informative interview, drawing back the curtain on both EPA and industry’s experience with the implementation of TSCA and details on what to prepare for in the near future, is available to stream now.