WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the first update of its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory, for 40 years, which shows that over half of the listed substances are no longer being sold on the US market.
Of those chemicals currently been sold on the US market, the composition of around 20 per cent or roughly 10,000 formulations are not known since they have confidential identities. EPA is now developing a rule outlining how the Agency will review and substantiate all CBI (Confidential Business Information) claims.
Within this update, it’s possible that chemicals in the textile sector may have been reclassified as ‘inactive’, and as such manufacturers and importers will be required to check and resubmit necessary paperwork.
“It’s important for us to know which chemicals are actually in use today,” said Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “This will help us with our work prioritising chemicals, evaluating and addressing risks. This information also increases transparency to the public.”
