EPA Extends Comment Period for Submitting Use and Exposure Information on Five PBT Chemicals

The amended Toxic Substance Control Act requires EPA to take expedited regulatory action under section 6(a) for certain persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals; the chemicals subject to this expedited action must meet the statutory criteria in section 6(h) and must be drawn from the 2014 update of the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments. Specifically, EPA is directed to move forward without completing a risk evaluation. The agency is required to propose a rule to reduce risks and exposures from these PBT chemicals no later than June 22, 2019, with a final rule to follow no more than 18 months later.  Accordingly, EPA has identified five PBT chemicals under the conditions specified by TSCA, which include decabromodiphenyl ethers (DecaBDE), hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), pentachlorothiophenol (PCTP), Phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1), and 2,4,6-tris(tert-butyl) phenol. EPA has established public dockets for each of the five PBT chemicals to collect information on exposure and use to inform the Agency’s rulemaking efforts. The comments were previously due on or before December 9, 2017. However, EPA recently extended this deadline to January 12, 2018.