Memoranda

On December 10, 2019, the U.S. Senate received and read twice the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019 (Act). Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives one day prior to the Senate’s review, the Act — H.R. 2051 — if approved, will establish an interagency working group led by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to coordinate federal programs and activities in support of sustainable chemistry. This is an exciting development and,...

On January 24, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the draft risk evaluation of carbon tetrachloride, “a solvent primarily used in the manufacturing of chlorinated compounds and petrochemicals.” Carbon tetrachloride is the seventh of the first ten chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA published a Federal Register notice on January 27, 2020, announcing the availability of the draft risk...

On January 14, 2020, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) adopted amendments it proposed on November 16, 2018, and modified on October 4, 2019, to the Proposition 65 (Prop 65) regulations setting forth the circumstances when a “retail seller” is responsible for providing consumer product exposure warnings. The amendments are effective on April 1, 2020. The amendments adopted have not changed since OEHHA’s October 4, 2019, modifications. A...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on December 20, 2019, an updated version of the “Working Approach” document that builds upon EPA’s November 2017 “New Chemicals Decision-Making Framework: Working Approach to Making Determinations under Section 5 of TSCA.” EPA states that the updated document, “TSCA New Chemical Determinations: A Working Approach for Making Determinations under TSCA Section 5,” explains its approach for making one of the five affirmative...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published on December 20, 2019, the final list of high-priority chemicals. These chemicals will be the next 20 chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to EPA, issuing the final list of high-priority chemicals for risk evaluation “represents the final step in the prioritization process outlined in TSCA and marks another major TSCA milestone for EPA in its efforts to ensure the...

As part of its Fitness Check of European Union (EU) legislation regarding endocrine disruptors, the European Commission (EC) has begun two public consultations: a public consultation (designed from a citizen’s perspective), and a stakeholder consultation (designed for stakeholders and experts). The public consultation will close March 9, 2020, and targets the general public. The stakeholder survey will close on January 31, 2020, and targets stakeholder...

On June 23, 2016, more than 30 million people voted in a referendum to decide whether the UK should remain in, or depart from, the EU. The “Leave Campaign” won the referendum by 52 percent to 48 percent, and since then “Brexit” has become an important matter globally with a wide range of stakeholders. Brexit has attracted unparalleled levels of attention from the global chemicals industry due to its significant implications for business operations. Brexit...

The results of the United Kingdom’s December 12, 2019, elections give the Conservative Party under the leadership of Boris Johnson a clear mandate to withdraw from the European Union (EU), a process colloquially known as “Brexit,” by the January 31, 2020, deadline agreed with the EU. The mandate is clear, the details of withdrawal are not, and the forthcoming negotiation with the EU promises to be challenging. Brexit has attracted unparalleled levels of attention from the...

The latest revisions to the Act on Registration, Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals [Act No. 15844, October 16, 2018] in South Korea (K-REACH) entered into force on January 1, 2019. Its first significant compliance deadline required manufacturers and importers to pre-register existing substances by June 30, 2019. The industry is now shifting its focus to registration requirements that provide the following phase-in timelines. Article 11 of the Act provides exemptions from registration for...

On December 4, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) soliciting information as EPA considers a future rulemaking to add certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) (more commonly known as the Toxics Release Inventory...