EPA Schedules Two Meetings to Discuss TSCA Implementation Activities, Requests Comments

On November 6, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to publish a notice in the Federal Register in which it will announce two meetings to discuss implementation activities under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 20th Century Act, as well as request public comments.  The meetings are:

• New Chemicals Review Program Implementation Meeting:  December 6, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).  EPA’s first meeting will update and engage with the public on EPA’s progress in implementing changes to the New Chemicals Review Program as a result of the 2016 amendments to TSCA, and will include a discussion of EPA’s draft New Chemicals Decision-Making Framework.  EPA will describe its review process for new chemical substances under the amended statute and interested parties will have the opportunity to provide input and to ask questions.  EPA states it plans to utilize the feedback it receives from the public meeting and comments received to improve policy and processes relating to the review of new chemicals under TSCA.  EPA will be accepting questions from the public in advance of the meeting, and will respond to these questions at the meeting as time allows, if such questions are received by November 20, 2017.  Questions and comments can be submitted in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0585 on www.regulations.gov.  Registration for this meeting is available online.
• Approaches for Identifying Potential Candidates for Prioritization for Existing Chemical Risk Evaluations Meeting:  December 11, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).  EPA’s second meeting will focus on possible approaches for identifying potential candidate chemical substances for EPA’s prioritization process under TSCA.  As amended, TSCA required that EPA establish processes for prioritizing and evaluating risks from existing chemical substances.  EPA will describe and take comment on a number of possible approaches that could guide it in the identification of potential candidate chemical substances.  EPA will be accepting questions from the public in advance of the meeting, and will respond to these questions at the meeting as time allows, if such questions are received by November 20, 2017.  Questions and comments can be submitted in Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0586 on www.regulations.gov.  Registration for this meeting is available online.

Online requests to participate in either meeting must be received on or before December 5, 2017.  Both meetings will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Horizon Ballroom, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C., and will be available by remote access for registered participants. EPA states that more information on the specifics of the meetings will be made available in the dockets and on EPA’s website prior to the meeting.