EPA Unveils TSCA Draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos

On March 30, EPA published its TSCA Draft Risk Evaluation for asbestos, one of the first 10 priority chemicals scheduled for review.

In this draft risk evaluation, EPA reviewed data on potential asbestos exposures and made several initial determinations on risk relating to the environment and occupational health. However, the public comment and peer review processes may alter these determinations.
 

EPA finds no risk to the environment. During the initial research process, EPA found no unreasonable risks to the environment under any of the conditions of use.

There may be a risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders. EPA found that workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders could be adversely affected by asbestos under certain conditions of use. These initial determinations are based on a draft risk evaluation of the reasonably available information and are not EPA’s final determinations on whether this chemical presents unreasonable risks under the conditions of use. Any final risk determinations are subject to change. 

This draft risk evaluation and the initial risk determinations are not final. This draft represents the agency’s preliminary conclusions, findings, and determinations on asbestos. Next, the draft risk evaluation will be peer-reviewed by independent scientific experts.

What is a TSCA Risk Evaluation?

According to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act (LCSA) amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA must evaluate the safety of existing chemicals, prioritize existing chemicals for evaluation, and create risk-based chemical assessments.

The final risk evaluation is designed to thoroughly evaluate the available science before taking action to manage the risk associated with the use of a chemical.

If EPA’s final risk evaluation finds there are adverse health risks associated with MC under any of the specific conditions of use, the agency can propose Actions to address those risks within the timeframe required by TSCA. EPA’s actions could include proposed regulations to prohibit or limit the manufacture, processing, distribution in the marketplace, use, or disposal of the chemical, as applicable.

TSCA Online Training

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) underwent major changes recently. Be confident you know how the Lautenberg Law impacts your responsibilities for chemical management, inventory reporting, and recordkeeping.

The TSCA Regulations Online Course is updated to cover the latest EPA requirements that professionals in the chemical manufacturing, import/export, storage, and processing fields must know.
 

Tags: asbestos, Chemical safety, draft risk evaluation, EPA, lcsa, TSCA