EPA Finalizes TRI PFAS Reporting Rule

On October 31, EPA published its final rule, Changes to Reporting Requirements for PFAS and to Supplier Notifications for Chemicals of Special Concern which modifies the requirements for TRI reporting. These new requirements take effect November 30, 2023, and will apply for the reporting year beginning January 1, 2024; first reports with these requirements will be due July 1, 2025. The rule puts forth two significant changes to the current reporting requirements.

The first change to the reporting requirements is that all PFAS presently subject to TRI reporting will be added to the TRI list of Chemicals of Special Concern (“COSC List”). In addition, in the future, any PFAS added to the TRI list of toxic chemicals will automatically be added to the COSC list without the Agency having to go through a separate rulemaking process as was previously required. Furthermore, all PFAS on the COSC list will be held to the same reporting standard as all other chemicals on the COSC list. This means that all PFAS will be excluded from the de minimis exemption, which had excused quantities of PFAS present in mixtures at less than 1 percent (0.1 for PFOA) from contributing to reporting thresholds. In addition, facilities will no longer be able to report these substances on Form A (the less extensive of the reporting forms) and will not be able to report quantities using ranges. Under the requirements previously in place, Form A could be used for PFAS reporting if each of the following criteria has been met:

  • The reportable chemical substance is not a PBT.
  • The reportable chemical substance was not manufactured, processed, or otherwise used in excess of 1,000,000 lbs.
  • If the total reportable amount of the chemical substance released did not exceed 500 lbs.

Under the new requirements, no one will be able to report PFAS manufacture, processing, use, and releases on Form A. However, Form A can still be used to meet the reporting requirements for PFAS during the 2023 reporting year; beginning in 2024, PFAS will need to be reported using the more extensive Form R.

The second change to the TRI reporting requirements eliminates the de minimis exemption under the supplier notification requirements for all COSC, including PFAS. This change also goes into effect for the 2024 reporting year. The de minimis exemption for supplier notification meant that raw material suppliers were not required to notify their customers of the presence of PFAS in mixtures below specific concentrations (1 percent for non-carcinogens and 0.1 percent for carcinogens or, in the present case, 1 percent for PFAS and 0.1 percent for PFOA). Eliminating the de minimis exemption for reporting will add notification requirements on suppliers of products containing COSC and include such information on their SDSs. Consequentially, facilities will have more information about their processing, use, and/or release of PFAS, and downstream manufacturers will likely have more information to report to EPA for TRI.

EPA to Consider Revising FIFRA Exemption for Pesticide-Treated Seeds and Paint

On October 12, 2023, EPA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on seeds (“treated seeds”) and paint (“treated paint”) treated with a pesticide that is registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (“treating pesticide”). Treated seeds and treated paints are currently exempted from FIFRA under the “treated articles and substances” exemption at 40 CFR 152.25(a) as long as their use is consistent with the treating pesticide’s label instructions.

EPA’s longstanding position has been that subjecting treated articles to FIFRA requirements would be unnecessary since the treating pesticide would have already been assessed during the pesticide registration process. This position was challenged in 2017 by the Center for Food Safety, which filed a petition requesting that EPA remove the exemption for treated seeds and aggressively enforce FIFRA’s pesticide labeling and registration requirements for seeds treated with systemic insecticide chemicals. EPA denied the petition in 2022 but acknowledged that the use of a treated seed contrary to the treating pesticide’s labeling instructions is generally not enforceable under FIFRA. As a result, EPA noted its intention to issue the current advance notice of proposed rulemaking to collect more information on treated seeds. EPA also included treated paints in the notice because of concerns that painters may be exposed to treated paint without adequate PPE.

The information specifically requested by the notice falls into five main categories:

  1. Effectiveness of instructions on treated seed product labeling to mitigate potential risks. EPA seeks comment on the Agency’s labeling instructions for treated seeds, particularly with regard to whether these instructions are clear, generally achievable, and adequate.
  2. Use, usage, and tracking of treated seed products. EPA seeks comment on the use, usage rates, and volume of imports of treated seeds. EPA also seeks comment on whether tracking treated seed distribution, sale, and/or use would provide any meaningful improvements in the assessments of treating pesticides and whether the treated article exemption should be amended so that manufacturers of treated seeds would be subject to FIFRA section 7 registration and reporting requirements.
  3. Management of spilled or excess treated seed. EPA included additional labeling instructions for the management of spilled and excess treated seed in the registration review proposed interim decisions and interim decisions of several chemicals. EPA seeks comment on whether these instructions are sufficient. EPA also seeks comment on what farmers, distributors, and companies currently do with excess treated seed.
  4. Treated paint. Pesticide labeling requirements for treated paint do not currently exist. EPA seeks comment on whether it should add pesticide labeling requirements and what those requirements should include. EPA also seeks comment on whether it should add specific use instructions or enforceable use requirements for professional painters and whether the treated article exemption should be amended so that manufacturers of treated paints would be subject to FIFRA section 7 registration and reporting requirements.
  5. Administrative action, amendment of the treated article exemption, and/or FIFRA section 3(a) rule. EPA seeks comment on whether action is necessary to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on human health and the environment, considering the concerns raised regarding the enforceability of labeling instructions on treated seeds and paint and whether there are any such examples of the use of treated seed contrary to labeling instructions. If so, EPA requests comments on what the proper action should be and how such an action might impact states.

EPA also requests comments on whether exposure to treated seeds and paint may be an environmental justice concern and comments regarding potential child health concerns. Comments on the notice will be accepted through December 11, 2023.

EPA Proposes Changes to TSCA Risk Evaluation Procedures

On October 30, 2023, EPA published a proposed rule altering the procedures for chemical risk evaluations under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The proposed rule revises the existing 2017 framework, which was adopted one year after Congress passed amendments to TSCA requiring EPA to evaluate whether existing chemicals that have been identified as “high priority” present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.

The rulemaking includes the following proposed changes:

  • The clarification that EPA will include all conditions of use (i.e., circumstances under which the chemical is “intended, known, or reasonably foreseen to be manufactured, processed, distributed in commerce, used, or disposed of”) in the scope of a risk evaluation.
  • The inclusion of all exposure pathways in the scope of a risk evaluation. EPA previously excluded exposure pathways covered under other EPA statutes in its risk evaluations for the first ten chemicals.
  • The removal of the definitions for “best available science” and “weight of the scientific evidence.” Though TSCA requires EPA to use the best available science and make decisions based on the weight of the scientific evidence at 15 U.S.C. 2625, EPA argues that the codification of these definitions inhibits the Agency’s ability to adapt to changing science.
  • The requirement that EPA make a single determination on whether the chemical presents an unreasonable risk. EPA initially made separate risk determinations for each condition of use in its risk evaluations for the first ten chemicals but later issued revised “whole substance” determinations.
  • The cessation of the consideration of “assumed” personal protective equipment (PPE) use when calculating exposure reduction due to PPE.
  • The addition of “overburdened communities” to the list of examples of potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations.
  • A number of alterations to the process and requirements for manufacturer-requested risk evaluations.

The above changes would apply to all risk evaluations initiated on or after the date of the final rule.  For risk evaluations in progress on the date of the final rule, EPA expects to apply the changes “only to the extent practicable.”

The proposed clarification that EPA includes all conditions of use in the scope of a risk evaluation stems from the Ninth Circuit’s 2019 decision in Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families v. US EPA. In the case, petitioners successfully challenged EPA’s exclusion of “legacy uses and associated disposals”—such as the use and future disposal of asbestos in previously installed insulation—from the scope of risk evaluations. Several of the other proposed changes would codify existing EPA practices introduced in 2021, including the requirement that risk evaluations end with a single determination rather than use-by-use determinations.

EPA requests public comments on all aspects of the proposed rulemaking. Comments are due on December 14, 2023.

Irene Hantman Presents on EPA’s Audit Policy and TSCA Audits at PSX 2023

Verdant Law is pleased to report that Irene Hantman gave a presentation on EPA’s Audit Policy and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) audits on October 18 in Boston at PSX 2023.  PSX is the Product Stewardship Society’s annual conference, and its website can be found here.  Ms. Hantman serves on the Conference Planning Committee for PSX and looks forward to next year’s conference in Denver.

The presentation covered the incentives for the self-disclosure of violations provided by EPA’s audit policy, the conditions that must be met to qualify for audit policy penalty mitigation, and the benefits and risks of TSCA audits.  Ms. Hantman discussed important considerations for companies conducting audits, such as compliance with the 21-day self-disclosure deadline and understanding the 5-year statute of limitations that applies to most TSCA violations.  Ms. Hantman also highlighted the role of negotiations with EPA during an audit, for example, to avoid triggering penalties for repeat violations.

Particular attention was given to the New Owner Audit Policy, which allows new owners to get a clean baseline following the purchase of a facility.  Ms. Hantman covered the additional benefits to new owners of conducting TSCA audits, which include the opportunity to seek indemnification from the seller for breach of reps and warranties, the opportunity to submit an insurance claim if the new owner purchased deal insurance, and further reduced economic penalties under the New Owner Audit Policy.

Also presenting was Ashish P. Deshmukh, PhD, Principal at Ramboll, who spoke about the particulars of audit processes and how product stewards can prepare for TSCA audits.  The presentation was moderated by Robert DeMott, PhD, Principal Toxicologist at Ramboll.

If you have questions about the topics of the presentation, please contact Ms. Hantman.

EPA Finalizes TSCA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for PFAS

EPA has finalized its Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (“PFAS”) rule. The rule offers none of the customary TSCA reporting exemptions, such as the di minimus threshold exemption, article exemption, and research and development exemption. Although industry members voiced significant concerns over the proposed rule, the scope of the rule remains expansive. A summary of the final rule is detailed below.

Who does the final rule apply to?

40 CFR § 705.10 identifies the entities that are covered under the rule. The rule, which Congress mandated through the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act, applies to all entities that have manufactured and/or imported a PFAS for commercial purposes, including those present in a mixture and in an article since January 1, 2011. Those who have only processed, distributed in commerce, used, and/or disposed of PFAS are not subject to this rule.

Which PFAS must be reported under the final rule?

EPA has identified PFAS subject to the rule by a structural definition rather than a list of substance identities (40 CFR § 705.5). However, EPA will provide a public list of substances that meet this definition on its CompTox Chemical Dashboard. The definition of PFAS using a structural definition is as follows:

  • R-(CF2)-CF(R’)R’’, where both the CF2 and CF moieties are saturated carbons;
  • R-CF2OCF2-R’, where R and R’ can either be F, O, or saturated carbons; and
  • CF3C(CF3)R’R’’, where R’ and R’’ can either be F or saturated carbons.

This differs from the proposed rule, which defined PFAS as “a substance that includes the following structure: R-(CF2)–C(F)(R′)R″, in which both the CF2 and CF moieties are saturated carbons and none of the R groups (R, R′ or R″) can be hydrogen.”

Reporting threshold

There is no reporting threshold or de minimis level for PFAS reporting. The traditional TSCA reporting exemptions, such as byproducts and impurities, and low volume exemptions, are not being upheld under this rule and require reporting.

Reporting standard

40 CFR § 705.15 states that the reporting standard that applies to this rule is information “known or reasonably ascertainable” by the manufacturer. This means “all information in a person’s possession or control, plus all information that a reasonable person similarly situated might be expected to possess, control, or know” (See 40 CFR 704.3). Under this standard, the manufacturer must evaluate not only their current level of knowledge regarding substances that are manufactured or imported, including those in articles, but also any additional information that a reasonable person, similarly situated, would be expected to know, possess, or control.

To obtain the necessary information for reporting, EPA expects the manufacturer/importer to conduct a reasonable inquiry into their own organization and potentially make inquiries outside the organization. According to the Agency, this may require “phone calls or email inquiries to upstream suppliers or downstream users or employers or other agents of the manufacturer, including persons involved in the research and development, import or production, or marketing of the PFAS.”

If data is unknown or not reasonably ascertainable, the submitter should, if possible, submit reasonable estimates. If manufacturers or importers need additional information for reporting, but suppliers are unwilling to provide that information, they can send a request for information through EPA’s reporting tool.

What information must be reported?

The scope of information required is vast. Data elements are detailed at 40 CFR §705.15 and include:

  • Chemical-specific information for all PFAS manufactured each year since January 1, 2011, including PFAS incorporated in mixtures.
  • Categories of use, including information on the sector, industrial processing, commercial and consumer use, and product categories.
  • Concentrations of each PFAS used in consumer and commercial products.
  • Manufactured amounts.
  • Byproduct identification.
  • Environmental and health effects data – which must be submitted according to OECD Harmonized Templates for Reporting Chemical Test Summaries.
  • Worker exposure data.
  • Disposal data.

Reporting on PFAS in Articles

Articles importers are subject to the reporting rule. The fact that there is no de minimis concentration threshold makes the scope of this mandate expansive. Because the known and reasonably ascertainable standard applies to this rule, importers must go beyond simply reviewing the SDSs for the imported articles. To demonstrate compliance with the rule, importers will need to survey their suppliers about the presence of PFAS in all of the articles they have imported since January 1, 2011. However, the rule does not mandate any product testing for article importers.

The rule does exempt some data elements from reporting for PFAS imported in articles, such as byproduct identification, worker exposure data, and disposal data.

R&D exemptions to the reporting requirements

Manufacturers and importers of R&D PFAS substances are subject to the reporting rule.  The reporting requirements are reduced where volumes are below 10 kilograms annually.

Electronic reporting

All information must be submitted electronically through CDX (see 40 CFR § 705.35). A new tool, the Chemical Information Submission System (“CISS”), will be added to the CDX module “Submission for Chemical Safety and Pesticide Program” (“CSPP”). Reporting will be submitted through the CISS, which the Agency is currently developing, and will be live prior to the opening of the reporting period.

CBI claims

PFAS manufacturers reporting under this rule may claim CBI consistent with TSCA section 14, but they must make the CBI claim with their submission for this rule. CBI claims submitted for other reporting requirements will not be considered. See 40 CFR § 705.30 for details.

Reporting timeline

Manufacturers and importers will have one year from the effective date of this rule, November 13, 2023, to collect the data necessary for reporting and an additional six months to submit their reports; reports will be due May 13, 2023. Small manufacturers (as defined in 40 CFR 704.3) will have an additional six months to report, making their reporting deadline November 13, 2024.

Recordkeeping requirements

Manufacturers and importers subject to this rule must maintain records of all documents and information reported to EPA for five years, beginning on the last day of the information submission period.

GAO Releases Report on PFAS-Related Recommendations

In September 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a three-page report detailing the recommendations it has previously made to government agencies for the purposes of “detecting, limiting exposure to, and treating PFAS contamination.”

GAO describes the following recommendations it made to EPA, FDA, and Department of Defense (DOD), respectively:

  • In September 2022, GAO recommended that EPA conduct an analysis of the demographic characteristics of communities that have PFAS in their drinking water. EPA agreed and is currently implementing the recommendation.
  • In November 2022, GAO recommended that FDA request legal authority from Congress to compel companies to provide information about certain substances on the market that come into contact with food (such as packaging) that may contain PFAS. FDA is considering the recommendation.
  • In April 2023, GAO recommended that DOD: (1) develop a strategy to help the Department comply with Congress’s directive to stop procuring certain products containing PFAS and (2) update its sustainable product guidance to reflect new PFAS policies. DOD agreed and is currently implementing the recommendation. GAO also recommended that Congress clarify its direction to DOD.

In addition to these recommendations, GAO stated that it is currently monitoring public water systems’ implementation of PFAS treatment methods. GAO also highlighted its July 2022 report on the technologies that could be used to address PFAS-related risks, which recommended that policymakers promote research, expand method development, and support full-scale PFAS treatment.

EPA Settles with Slack Chemical Company Following Alleged EPCRA Violations

On October 11, 2023, EPA announced a settlement with Slack Chemical Company, Inc. (“Slack”) following alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) at two of the New York corporation’s facilities. The settlement includes a civil penalty of $231,300.

Under Section 313 of EPCRA, owners or operators of certain facilities are required to annually submit a Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Reporting Form R (“TRI Form R”) report for each chemical listed under 40 CFR 372.65 that was manufactured, processed or otherwise used in quantities exceeding a certain threshold. TRI Form R reports require information about on-site releases of the chemical into the environment, transfers of the chemical in waste to off-site locations, on-site waste treatment methods, and source reduction and recycling activities. Alternatively, owners or operators can opt to submit a simpler Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Reporting Form A (“TRI Form A”)  report when the quantity of the chemical manufactured, processed, or otherwise used is one million pounds or less, the total quantity released, disposed, and treated at the facility is 500 pounds or less, and the chemical is not considered to be of special concern. TRI Form R/Form A reports are due no later than July 1 for the preceding calendar year.

EPA alleges that Slack, which describes itself as a “chemical warehousing, repackaging and distribution company,” failed to submit timely TRI Form R/Form A reports at its Carthage and Saratoga Springs facilities for calendar years 2019 and 2021. More specifically, EPA alleges that Slack:

  • Submitted TRI Forms R or A for the chemical’s ammonia, methanol, nitric acid, and toluene at its Carthage facility and a TRI Form R for methanol at its Saratoga Springs facility on May 10, 2021, for calendar year 2019, approximately 10 months late; and
  • Submitted TRI Forms R or A for the same chemicals at the facilities on November 21, 2022, for the calendar year 2021, approximately 4.5 months late.

In a news release, EPA stated that Slack has “voluntarily instituted a corporate compliance plan to prevent recurrence of EPCRA reporting violations,” which includes a written procedure listing the steps needed to identify TRI chemicals and their quantities.

California Governor Vetoes Three Bills Restricting PFAS in Consumer Products

On October 8, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he had vetoed three bills passed by California’s state legislature designed to restrict PFAS in certain consumer products. The three bills vetoed by Newsom are as follows:

  • AB 727, which would have banned the manufacture and sale of cleaning products containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above a certain concentration beginning in 2026. The concentration threshold would have decreased over time to 10 ppm in 2028.  The bill also would have banned the manufacture and sale of floor sealers and floor finishers containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 10 ppm beginning in 2028.
  • AB 246, which would have banned the manufacture and sale of menstrual products containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 10 ppm beginning in 2025.
  • AB 1423, which would have banned the manufacture, sale, or purchase of artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 20 ppm beginning in 2026.

In his veto messages for each of the three bills, Newsom provided an identical rationale for his decision.  Newsom wrote that he “strongly support[s] the author’s intent and [has] signed similar legislation in the past” but is concerned that the bill does not identify a regulatory agency to determine or enforce compliance with the proposed statute. According to Newsom, similar legislation that has been enacted without regulatory oversight has been challenging to implement due to inconsistent interpretations and confusion among manufacturers on how to comply. Newsom concluded each message by stating that he is directing the Department of Toxic Substances Control to work with the bill’s author and the legislature to consider other approaches to PFAS regulation.

EPA Releases Proposed Rule on Regulatory Requirements for New HAP Additions

Last month, EPA published a proposed rule that would amend the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to facilitate the addition of pollutants to the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA).  The proposed rule seeks to address applicability and compliance issues that EPA identified following the Agency’s 2022 decision to add 1-bromopropane (“1-BP”) to the list of HAP, which was the first addition to the HAP list since its inception in 1990.  Comments on the proposed rule are due on November 13, 2023.

The proposed rule makes the following clarifications:

  • EPA proposes language clarifying that a new HAP would not be regulated under NESHAP promulgated before the effective date of the listing.
  • EPA states that beginning on the effective date of the listing, a new HAP must be included in calculating a facility’s actual emissions, potential emissions, and whether a facility is considered an area source or a major source under CAA. Any facility that becomes a major source under CAA section 112 solely due to the addition of a new HAP, known as a major source due to listing (“MSDL”) facility, will need to evaluate whether any major source NESHAP applies to its operations.  EPA proposes that each MSDL facility be considered an “existing source” under CAA section 112, a designation that typically results in less stringent NESHAP emissions standards.  EPA also proposes that MSDL facilities would not be subject to the original NESHAP compliance schedules, which in many cases would require instantaneous compliance, and instead proposes that these facilities be subject to new deadlines based on the nature of the NESHAP emissions limitations or requirements.
  • When a facility triggers one or more major source NESHAP, it is required to submit an initial notification under each newly applicable NESHAP. EPA proposes that MSDL facilities include a statement that the facility is a major source due to HAP listing in their notification.

The proposed rule does not include any changes to the CAA Title V program.  MSDL facilities that do not elect to reduce their emissions to non-major levels would be required to apply for a Title V operating permit.  Though the proposed rule focuses on the immediate compliance obligations following the addition of a new HAP, EPA states that “future actions within NESHAP will address rule-specific issues,” such as identifying emissions sources and promulgating standards for new HAP.

1-BP was added to the Toxics Release Inventory list of reportable chemicals in 2015.  According to EPA’s website, the Agency “is now in the process of writing a proposed rule to take action to regulate 1-BP” following EPA’s 2022 determination that the chemical poses an unreasonable risk to human health.

EPA Proposes Revisions to the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements

On August 9, 2023, EPA released a lengthy proposed rule revising the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements (AERR), which requires state, local, and some tribal agencies (“States”) to collect and report data on air pollutant emissions to EPA.

Perhaps most importantly, the proposed rule would require the reporting of point source emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP), as enumerated in Clean Air Act section 112(b) and amended in 40 CFR 63 Subpart C.  EPA is proposing to expand the definition of “point source” accordingly to include certain emitters of HAP pollutants.  Owners/operators of point sources would be required to report HAP data directly to EPA unless a State chooses to report these emissions on behalf of owners/operators of point sources within the State.

In addition to the reporting of HAP, EPA proposes that:

  • Owners/operators of point sources report performance test results and performance evaluations that meet certain criteria;
  • States report data on “small generating units” that operate at point sources and meet specific criteria, and
  • Point source reporting should be done for the same sources every year, eliminating the current triennial approach that requires more facilities to be reported every third year by making the triennial year thresholds permanent, among a myriad of other changes.

The comment period for the proposed rule was extended until November 17, 2023.  Though the proposed changes have varying implementation dates, most importantly, most facilities would be required to begin submitting HAP data for the 2026 inventory year.