E.P.A. Suggests Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements on Nanoscale Materials in the Marketplace/For the 1st time the agency will use TSCA authority to collect health and safety information on nanoscale chemicals already in use

WASHINGTON D.C., - The E.P.A. (EPA) is proposing one-time reporting and recordkeeping requirements on nanoscale chemical substances in the marketplace.

"Nanotechnology holds great promise for improving products, from TVs and vehicles to batteries and solar panels," said Jim Jones, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "We want to continue to facilitate the trend toward this important technology. Today's action will ensure that E.P.A. also has information on nano-sized versions of chemicals that are already in the marketplace."

E.P.A. currently reviews new chemical substances manufactured or processed as nanomaterials prior to introduction into the marketplace to ensure that they are safe. For the 1st time, the agency is proposing to use TSCA to collect existing exposure and health and safety information on chemicals currently in the marketplace when manufactured or processed as nanoscale materials. The suggestion will require one-time reporting from companies that manufacture or process chemical substances as nanoscale materials.

The companies will notify E.P.A. of:

Nanoscale materials have special properties related to their small size such as greater strength and lighter weight, however, they may take on different properties than their conventionally-sized counterpart. The suggestion is not intended to conclude that nanoscale materials will cause harm to human health or the environment; Rather, E.P.A. would use the information gathered to determine if any further action under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including additional information collection, is needed.

The suggested reporting requirements are being issued under the authority of section 8(a) under TSCA. The agency is requesting public review on the suggested reporting and recordkeeping requirements 90 days from publication in the Federal Register. E.P.A. also anticipates holding a public meeting during the review period. The time and place of the meeting will be announced on EPA's web page at: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/nano/
Additional information and a fact sheet on the specifics of the suggested rule and what constitutes a nanoscale chemical material can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/nano/

There are currently no comments for this story. Be the first to add a comment!
Click here to add a comment about this story.