The Environmental Protection Agency is allowing more time for comments on proposed reporting requirements for three chemical substances, including functionalized carbon nanotubes, under a significant new use rule (here). The SNUR, proposed in October (see 1610260014), would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Comments on the proposed SNUR are now due March 3.

The Environmental Protection Agency is correcting a recent notice that set significant new use rules for 57 chemical substances, it said (here). The final rule, issued in November (see 1611170029), listed the wrong Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Registry Number for one chemical, and the wrong name for another, it said. The technical correction is effective Jan. 17.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a ban on Trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile organic compound widely used in industrial and commercial processes and has some limited uses in consumer and commercial products," the EPA said in a notice (here). The rule would address "prohibiting the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in aerosol degreasing and for spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities; prohibiting the commercial use of TCE for aerosol degreasing and for spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities; and requiring manufacturers, processors, and distributors, except for retailers, to provide downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain as well as associated recordkeeping requirements," the agency said. Comments on the proposed rule are due Feb. 14.

The Environmental Protection Agency seeks comments on whether it needs to adjust its threshold for small business exemptions to Section 8(a) reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act, it said (here). Currently, small businesses are mostly exempt if they have total annual sales of less than $40 million, including their parent company, and produce or import no more than 100,000 pounds or less of a given substance at any particular site, or if they have total sales of less than $4 million, regardless of the quantity produced or imported. EPA has preliminarily determined changes are warranted to the size standard based on inflation and the relatively low level of the threshold compared to Small Business Administration size standards. If it decides to make the changes it will begin a rulemaking through a notice in the Federal Register. Comments are due Jan. 17.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 12 published its final rule (here) establishing formaldehyde emissions standards and import certification requirements for composite wood products. Though the agency released the text of the final rule in July (see 1607280021), publication of the final rule in the Federal Register sets compliance dates for the final rule’s requirements. Formaldehyde emissions standards, certification, testing and labeling requirements take effect Dec. 12, 2017, except for emissions standards, certification and testing requirements for laminated products, which take effect Dec. 12, 2023. Recordkeeping requirements for importers also take effect Dec. 12, 2017, with importers required to keep bills of lading, invoices, or comparable documents bearing a statement of Toxic Substances Control Act Title I and production records beginning on that date. Import certification requirements, including for composite wood products that are “articles” under CBP’s TSCA import regulations, take effect Dec. 12, 2018, EPA said.

The Environmental Protection Agency is making changes to the list of substances allowed and prohibited for the protection of stratospheric ozone, in a final rule (here). Effective Jan. 3, EPA is listing as acceptable the use of propane in certain refrigeration equipment, HFO-1234yf in certain motor vehicle air-conditioning systems and 2-BTP in certain fire suppression equipment on aircraft. Also effective that date, EPA is listing as unacceptable the use of all refrigerants identified or meeting the criteria of flammability class 3 in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. Finally, effective Jan. 1, 2024, EPA is changing the listing status to unacceptable for certain refrigerants used in centrifugal chillers, positive displacement chillers, cold storage warehouses, retail food refrigeration, household refrigerators and freezers and certain spray foams.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for two alkylpyrrolidones, N-ethylpyrrolidone (NEP) and N-isopropylpyrrolidone (NiPP), under significant new use rules (here). The proposed SNUR would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors, except use of NEP for the ongoing uses as a reactant, in silicone seal remover, coatings, consumer and commercial paint primer, and adhesives. Comments on the proposed SNUR are due Jan. 27.

The Environmental Protection Agency is amending significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 57 chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs) (here). As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemicals for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. The direct final rule takes effect Jan. 17.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for three chemical substances, including functionalized carbon nanotubes, under significant new use rules (here). The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Comments on the proposed SNUR are due Nov. 28.

Exports of mercury (I) chloride or calomel, mercury (II) oxide, mercury (II) sulfate, mercury (II) nitrate, and mercury sulphide or “cinnabar” will be banned on Jan. 1, 2020, unless the chemicals are exported to member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for environmentally sound disposal, subject to certain conditions, the Environmental Protection Agency said (here). The respective Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Numbers of these substances are: 10112-91-1, 21908-53-2, 7783-35-9, 10045-94-0 and 1344-48-5. The U.S. government will allow such exports only if none of the compounds are expected to be recovered, recycled, “or reclaimed for use, or directly reused” after shipment, EPA said. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, enacted June 22, revised a number of TSCA provisions, and Congress directed EPA to publish a list of mercury compounds prohibited from export no later than 90 days after the law took effect.