Updates on Asbestos Regulation Under TSCA
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, requires the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to evaluate the safety of existing chemicals in three stages: prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management.
In 2016, asbestos was prioritized as one of the first ten chemicals to undergo risk evaluation in this process. US EPA initially focused on chrysotile asbestos, as it is the only asbestos fiber type currently imported, processed, or distributed in the US. The agency completed the final risk evaluation for chrysotile asbestos (Part 1) in December, 2020. In this evaluation, the agency concluded that some consumer and commercial uses of chrysotile asbestos-containing automotive brakes and clutches, as well as the industrial use of chrysotile asbestos-containing diaphragms in the chlor-alkali industry, sheet gaskets in chemical production, and brake blocks in the oil industry, result in unreasonable cancer risks. In December, 2021, US EPA released the draft scope for Part 2 of the risk evaluation of asbestos, which is a supplemental effort to evaluate legacy uses and associated disposals of asbestos, other types of asbestos fibers in addition to chrysotile, and conditions of use of asbestos in talc and talc-containing products.
Currently, US EPA is moving forward with risk management actions related to Part 1 of the chrysotile asbestos evaluation. In April, 2022, US EPA proposed a ban of ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, based on its findings of unreasonable risks to human health in the Part 1 evaluation. This proposed ban would prohibit the manufacture, import, processing, distribution in commerce, and commercial use of chrysotile asbestos for:
Gradient submitted comments to US EPA on a draft of the Part 1 chrysotile risk evaluation and also provided comments on the Part 2 draft scope (as included in the Industrial Minerals Association – North America submission to US EPA). US EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed rule to ban ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos until July 13, 2022. US EPA is also accepting public comments until July 5, 2022, on a proposed rule that would require those who manufactured or processed asbestos and asbestos-containing articles (including as an impurity) in the last four years to report certain exposure-related information, such as quantities of asbestos manufactured or processed and the types of use. There will be additional opportunities for public comment as US EPA continues the evaluation process for asbestos, including a public comment period on a draft of the Part 2 risk evaluation. US EPA is required by court order to publish Part 2 of the final risk evaluation for asbestos by December 1, 2024.
Gradient has been tracking the evolving science, state of knowledge, and regulatory decisions regarding asbestos for decades. If you have questions related to asbestos, please visit our website or contact:
Lisa Bailey, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
David Dodge, M.S., DABT, CIH
Principal Scientist
Michael K. Peterson, M.E.M., DABT
Principal
Robyn Prueitt, Ph.D., DABT
Principal Scientist
Topics: Asbestos, Chrysotile Asbestos, TSCA, Chemical Safety Review
|
|
|
|
Charlotte Marsh has met criteria to become a certified professional product steward (CPPS). Congratulations, Charlotte!
About CPPS
“Product stewards are responsible for the management of raw materials, intermediate materials, and consumer products throughout their lifecycle and across the value chain to prevent or minimize negative impacts and maximize value to human health and safety and to the environment. For example, when producing a plastic bottle for drinking water, product stewards take steps to keep workers, consumers, and the environment healthy and safe: from turning the crude oil into plastic pellets, making the pellets into bottles, filling the bottles with water, bringing them to supermarkets, and finally disposing of or recycling them after they have been used.”
Julie C. Lemay, M.P.H. was reelected to serve on the Board of Health in the town of Belmont, MA.
See website for Town of Belmont
Ali Boroumand has met criteria to become a licensed engineer with the state of Massachusetts. Congratulations, Ali!
About the National Society of Professional Engineers
To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass two intensive competency exams and earn a license from their state’s licensure board. Then, to retain their licenses, PEs must continually maintain and improve their skills throughout their careers.
At this year’s Society of Toxicology (SOT) annual meeting Gradient’s “A Rubric for Identifying Potentially Genotoxic Polycyclic Amines and Derivation of a Chemical Class-Specific TTC” was awarded the Best Poster Award in the Medical Device and Combination Product Specialty.
Authors:
Rachel Y. Chang, Ph.D.
Alexander Alverson
Joel M. Cohen, Sc.D., DABT
Presentation:
Session: Medical Devices
03/28/22 @ 9:00 am-10:45 am
Link to SOT’s Medical Device and Combination Product Specialty Section awards
Link to Gradient’s presence at SOT 2022
Gradient’s Dr. Barbara D. Beck was quoted in an InsideEPA.com article entitled, “Science Advisors Praise EPA’s Cumulative Analysis Goals But Doubt Ability” published on March 4, 2022.
The above article continues discussions and follows a previous white paper on the topic. The Science Advisory Board (SAB), of which Dr. Beck is a member, and EPA have had ongoing consultation on cumulative impacts analysis research gaps and needs. US EPA Administrator Michael Regan prioritized cumulative impacts analysis “as a way to try to advance Environmental Justice (EJ) in decision making at EPA.” The article contains details of the SAB members’ views on ways in which the agency “might begin to use cumulative impacts analysis in the near term and also for recommendations to address the major scientific and research gaps EPA will have to overcome in order to integrate cumulative impacts into its work.”
See the article: https://insideepa.com/daily-news/science-advisors-praise-epa-s-cumulative-analysis-goals-doubt-ability?s=na
|
|
|
