40 CFR Part 799, Subpart B - Specific Chemical Test Rules

EPA is amending certain reporting requirements that were promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to require the use electronic reporting. EPA is requiring the use of electronic reporting in order to minimize the paperwork burden associated with the underlying regulatory requirements and to minimize the cost to the Federal Government of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition of information. This action will also improve the quality and use of information to strengthen decisionmaking, accountability, and openness in government and society, as well as provide for the timely dissemination of public information and in a manner that promotes the utility of the information to the public and makes effective use of information technology.

This final rule implements EPA's decision to revoke certain testing requirements promulgated under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) for the High Production Volume (HPV) chemical substance, benzenesulfonic acid, [[4-[[4-(phenylamino)phenyl][4-(phenylimino)-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene]methyl]phenyl]amino]- (CAS No. 1324-76-1), also known as C.I. Pigment Blue 61. After publication in the Federal Register of a final rule requiring testing for C.I. Pigment Blue 61, EPA received adequate, existing studies which eliminated the need for testing.

This document contains minor amendments to regulations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide (FIFRA), and Rodenticide Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These amendments will make EPA's regulations more accurate and user friendly with regard to the name of the EPA office that administers these statutes and various Agency addresses.

EPA issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register of April 2, 2012, that would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 5(a) Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) for certain polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), and that would require persons that manufacture, import, or process any of three commercial PBDEs, including in articles, for any use after December 31, 2013, to conduct testing under TSCA section 4(a). This document extends the comment period for 60 days, from June 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012.

EPA is proposing to require electronic reporting for information that must be submitted under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 4 (pursuant to test rules and enforceable consent agreements (ECAs)), TSCA section 8(a) Preliminary Assessment Information Rule (PAIR), and TSCA section 8(d) Health and Safety Data Reporting rules. Additionally, EPA is proposing amendments to certain TSCA section 5 reporting regulations that would extend electronic reporting requirements to Notices of Commencement of Manufacture or Import (NOCs) and support documents ( e.g., correspondence, amendment, and test data) relating to TSCA section 5 notices submitted to EPA before April 6, 2010. This proposed rule would require the use of EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) and the Chemical Information Submission System (CISS) web-based reporting tool for the submission of forms, reports, and other documents except for TSCA section 5 submissions, which would use existing e-PMN software. This action is intended to streamline the reporting process and reduce the administrative costs associated with information submission and recordkeeping.

EPA will hold a public meeting on May 16, 2012, to give the public an opportunity to comment on a proposed test rule for 23 high production volume (HPV) chemical substances and a significant new use rule (SNUR) for another 22 HPV chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The test rule would require manufacturers and processors to develop screening-level health, environmental, and fate data based on the potential for substantial exposures of workers and consumers to the 23 HPV chemical substances, and the SNUR would require persons to file a significant new use notice (SNUN) with EPA prior to manufacturing, importing, or processing any of the 22 HPV chemical substances for use in a consumer product or for any use, or combination of uses, that would be reasonably likely to expose 1,000 or more workers at a single-corporate entity to the chemical substances. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs. The opportunity to present oral comment was offered in the proposed rule and, in response to that offer, a request to present oral comments was received.

The Agency is proposing to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 5(a) Significant New Use Rule (SNUR), for certain polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) by: Designating processing of six PBDEs, or any combination of these chemical substances resulting from a chemical reaction, as a significant new use; designating manufacturing, importing, and processing of a seventh PBDE, decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) for any use which is not ongoing after December 31, 2013, as a significant new use; and making inapplicable the article exemption for SNURs for this action. A person who intends to import or process any of the seven PBDEs included in the proposed SNUR, as part of an article for a significant new use would be required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance to ensure that the Agency has an opportunity to review and, if necessary, restrict or prohibit a new use before it begins. EPA is also proposing a test rule under TSCA that would require any person who manufactures or processes commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (c-pentaBDE), commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE), or commercial decaBDE (c-decaBDE), including in articles, for any use after December 31, 2013, to conduct testing on their effects on health and the environment. EPA is proposing to designate all discontinued uses of PBDEs as significant new uses. The test rule would be promulgated if EPA determines that there are persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process c-pentaBDE, c-octaBDE, or c-decaBDE, for any use, including in articles, after December 31, 2013.