The synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry and some polymer manufacturers will face more stringent emissions limitations under a final rule published by EPA on May 16, 2024. The rule primarily targets emissions from chloroprene and ethylene oxide, which are linked to cancer in humans. The final rule amends the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air […]
Customers in California have filed a class action lawsuit against BIC USA, Inc. (“BIC”), a razor manufacturer, over allegations of PFAS use discovered through BIC’s compliance with a Maine PFAS reporting law. In 2021, Maine enacted legislation requiring companies to disclose whether their products contain intentionally added PFAS by January 1, 2023. Although a subsequent […]
Maine’s reporting requirements for products containing PFAS will be narrowed, and incremental category-specific bans will be adopted under a new law enacted April 16, 2024. The law, LD 1537, revises landmark 2021 legislation that implemented a general ban on the sale of products containing intentionally added PFAS starting in 2030 and mandated reporting in the […]
On May 20, 2024, OSHA published a final rule revising the Agency’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), which requires that workers be informed of chemical hazards. The rule aligns the HCS with Revision 7 (Rev. 7) of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which is updated biennially by the United Nations. […]
On May 3, 2024, EPA published a final rule amending the procedures for chemical risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final rule is largely unchanged from the proposed rule, discussed in a previous Verdant Law blog post. A key change in the final rule is the requirement that risk determinations end […]
Concentrations of six PFAS substances in drinking water will be regulated for the first time under new drinking water standards published by EPA on April 26, 2024. The final rule sets individual maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt). The agency found no evidence that any level of […]
EPA would be required to complete overdue risk evaluations by new deadlines if two proposed consent decrees, announced by EPA on April 26, 2024, are adopted. Section 6(b)(4)(G) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires EPA to complete risk evaluations within three years of initiation, with a six-month extension possible. EPA has missed this […]
On March 20, 2024, EPA issued a test order for a PFAS known as NMeFOSE (CASRN 24448-09-7). The order, issued under section 4(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act, requires 3M Co. and Wacker Chemical Corp. to conduct tiered testing on NMeFOSE. NMeFOSE was selected for testing as a representative of a group of similar […]
Inactive PFAS chemicals can no longer reenter commerce without EPA approval under a final significant new use rule (SNUR) issued by EPA on January 11, 2024. The 329 PFAS subject to the SNUR are currently designated as inactive on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory and are not subject to an existing SNUR. (An […]
EPA has preliminarily determined that tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) presents an unreasonable risk to human health and the environment, according to its draft risk assessment of the flame retardant released on December 14, 2023. Animal testing data revealed that exposure to TCEP may increase risk of kidney cancer and other cancers, and could harm neurological and […]
