OIG to Audit EPA New Chemicals Review

EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has informed the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) that it will audit EPA’s process for conducting reviews of new TSCA chemicals (i.e., substances submitted to the Premanufacture Notification (PMN) and PMN exemption processes).  This is a self-initiated audit to accomplish OIG’s oversight plan for fiscal year 2022, to address ensuring safe use of chemicals, and to address complaints from the OIG Hotline.  OIG seeks to determine the extent EPA is following records-management requirements, quality-assurance requirements, and employee performance standards.  OIG will also be looking at how EPA manages human health and environmental risks for approving new chemicals under TSCA.

OIG has asked OCSPP to assist in expediting the audit by providing all materials, handbooks, and anything related to the review of new chemicals; the resource allocations for chemical review from fiscal years 2018 through 2021; scopes of work for any contracts related to chemical review; any guidance they have received on chemical review; and new chemicals review program organization charts before and after the October 2020 reorganization.

OIG notes authority under the Inspector General Act of 1078, as amended, to have timely access to their requests and personnel.  In addition to the Inspector General Act, in its request, OIG references EPA Manual 6500 and statements from Administrator Michael S. Regan.