EPA Updates New Chemical Review Program Webpage, Metrics, Affirming Commitment to Increased Transparency
2022-12-16
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a redesign and updates to the statistics webpage for the New Chemicals Review Program. The update includes additional information and metrics on the Agency’s review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), increasing transparency for the public, the regulated community and other stakeholders. The new information and features will help users understand EPA’s new chemicals review process, throughput, and trends, while highlighting the progress the program has made despite ongoing resource challenges.
“EPA is committed to building a culture of transparency and today’s update is a significant step towards improving transparency in our review of new chemicals,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “The newly enhanced webpage gives users an extensive look at the new chemical review process and provides a clear snapshot of the progress made by the program’s dedicated career staff to ensure public health and environmental protections.”
TSCA requires EPA to review the potential risks of new chemicals before they enter the U.S. marketplace and, when necessary, put safeguards in place to protect human health and the environment. Before TSCA was amended in 2016, EPA issued formal risk determinations for approximately 20% of new chemical submissions. In 80% of cases, EPA dropped the chemical from further review, which under the prior law would allow the manufacturer to take the chemical to market.
Under the 2016 amendments, EPA is required to make an affirmative determination on all new chemical notices submitted under TSCA, substantially increasing the Agency’s workload. Despite the dramatic increase in responsibility, the budget for the TSCA program has remained essentially flat over the past six years.
To address resource limitations, EPA has taken several steps over the past year to create a sustainable program that follows the science and the law. Today’s action represents another important step in that process. Data displayed on the enhanced webpage will be updated monthly. The data show that EPA continues to make positive progress on reviewing new chemicals and managing risks to human health and the environment. With more funding and resources, EPA could further increase the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of its work.
US EPA, 16-12-22
; https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca/statistics-new-chemicals-review