by Jbs010410 g3 — January 6, 2010—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced December 30 a series of actions on four chemicals raising serious health or environmental concerns, including phthalates.
For the first time, EPA intends to establish a “Chemicals of Concern” list and is beginning a process that may lead to regulations requiring significant risk reduction measures to protect human health and the environment.
In addition to phthalates, the chemicals EPA is addressing are short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA. These chemicals are used in the manufacture of a wide array of products and have raised a range of health and environmental concerns.
EPA also recently announced that three U.S. companies agreed to phase out DecaBDE, a widely used fire retardant chemical that may potentially cause cancer and may impact brain function. EPA intends to reinforce the DecaBDE phaseout, which will take place over three years, with requirements to ensure that any new uses of PBDEs are reviewed by EPA prior to returning to the market.
The agency’s actions represent its determination to use its authority under the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the fullest extent possible, recognizing EPA’s strong belief that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform. EPA says this is the first time the agency has used TSCA’s authority to list chemicals that “may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment.”
