Toxic Substances: Status of EPA's Reviews of Chemicals Under the Chemical Testing Program.
Abstract
Most of the chemicals tested under TSCA are nominated by the Interagency Testing Committee (ITC), which was established by TSCA to recommend semiannually to EPA chemicals that should receive priority consideration for testing. Within EPA, the Office of Toxic Substances receives testing nominations from other organizations, such as other federal agencies, and has instituted testing programs in response to these nominations. However, for ITC nominations alone, EPA is required under TSCA to respond to the nomination within 1 year by initiating rule making to require testing by industry or to explain its reasons for not doing so in the Federal Register. All of the chemicals discussed in this fact sheet were nominated by ITC. Chemical testing rulemaking is initiated when EPA develops and publishes in the Federal Register a proposed test rule. Industry sometimes initiates a testing program voluntarily after issuance of the proposed test rule. If EPA determines that industry's voluntary testing program is adequate, EPA may announce a 'decision not to test' in the Federal Register. If industry does not conduct voluntary testing, EPA may issue a 'consent order,' under which industry agrees to test a chemical according to a set plan and time frame. jg p.2
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA291958
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office