EPA Moves Forward with Chemical Action Plans

Last fall EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and OPPTS chief Steve Owens promised that while Congress debated TSCA reform, the EPA would move forward with what they called "Action Plans."  EPA then released five action plans in December 2009, with the idea that they would be releasing about 4 more per quarter.  They have slipped from that idea, but are just about ready to issue a couple of more.

Several months ago, in the spring, EPA sent two action plans to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as is policy for any activities with potentially significant impacts on business.  On Monday OMB finally approved both action plans, one for nonylphenol and its ethoxylates and the other for the brominated flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD).

So expect EPA to release the two plans shortly and post them on their web site.  Both plans will likely contain provisions similar to the five previous plans, including consideration of the use of a series of existing TSCA rulemaking authorities. 

Meanwhile, EPA has also been working three additional test plans for siloxanes, benzidine dyes, and diisocyanates.  No word yet on the schedule for those, which also will have to go through OMB review.