United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed that companies be required to report to the EPA all new uses, including domestic or imported products, of the five groups of potentially harmful chemicals.
Over the years, these chemicals have been used in a wide range of consumer lines and industrial applications, including paints, printing inks, pigments and dyes in the textile industry, fire retardants in flexible foams, and plasticizers. EPA seeks to ensure chemical safety in order to protect americans' health and the environment.
The five chemicals identified by EPA are polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), benzidine dyes, a short-chain chlorinated paraffin, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and di-n-pentyl phthalate phthalate (DNPP). The agency is also proposing additional tests on the health and environmental effects of PBDEs.
The proposed regulatory measures are known as Important New Use Rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The proposed rules require that anyone who will manufacture, import, or process with any of the chemicals mentioned must send a notification to the EPA at least 90 days before starting the activity. This means that the Agency can assess the proposed new use and take steps to prohibit or limit that activity, if warranted.
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