White House Greenlights Rule for Reporting Chemical Data to EPA
2020-03-16
Chemical makers will soon learn what specific information theyll have to give the EPA later this year, now that the White House has approved the agencys final data reporting rule. The White House Office of Management and Budget announced March 14 that it approved the regulation, which requires companies that make or import chemicals above specified thresholdsgenerally 25,000 pounds a yearto report production, use, and other information every four years. For a comparison, a 10-foot U-Haul filled with water would weigh roughly 25,000 pounds. The Environmental Protection Agency uses the information that companies report to decide what chemicals warrant its attention and to inform regulations.
OMBs approval marks the last step before EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signs and releases the regulation, which will say whether chemical manufacturers must submit their information electronically.
Susan Sharkey, from the EPAs chemicals office, recently told companies that the electronic central data exchange system manufacturers will use to submit their information isnt available yet, but will be before submissions are due. She spoke in early March at a chemical regulatory conference.
The EPA couldnt be immediately reached for comment on Monday. It typically publishes rules soon after OMBs approval.
Reporting is scheduled to last from June 1 to Sept. 30. But the EPA often publishes revisions to the Chemical Data Reporting rule only a few months before reports are due, therefore delaying the start of reporting.
Bloomberg Environment, 16 March 2020
; https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/white-house-greenlights-rule-for-reporting-chemical-data-to-epa