EPA Posts Final TSCA Risk Eval for Carbon Tetrachloride

[Update 11/04/20] The final chemical risk evaluation for Carbon Tetrachloride was announced in the Federal Register today. 

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In the past week, US EPA released one final chemical risk evaluation and one draft risk evaluation required under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Final Risk Evaluation: Carbon Tetrachloride

On November 3, EPA announced completion of the final chemical risk evaluation for Carbon Tetrachloride (CASRN 56-23-5). For workers and occupational non-users, EPA identified unreasonable risk for 13 of the 15 conditions of use evaluated.

EPA found no unreasonable risk to the environment for any conditions of use for carbon tetrachloride.There are no consumer uses of the chemical, EPA says. All conditions of use reviewed area associated with industrial and commercial work (e.g., chemical manufacturing).  

After a public comment period, EPA must address the unreasonable risks they identified with regulatory action within two years. EPA's menu of risk management options includes prohibition or limits on manufacture, processing, or distribution of the chemical, worker protections, disposal restrictions, and more. 

What is Carbon Tetrachloride?

Carbon tetrachloride is known by different names to different industries: You might call it carbon tet, tetrachloromethane, Halon-104, or Refrigerant-10, for example.  

It is a clear, sweet-smelling liquid used historically in refrigerants, aerosol propellants, degreasers, spot remover products, fire extinguishers, and insect fumigants. It was also used as a pesticide until 1986. More information on the chemical is available from CDC and NIOSH.

Revised Draft Risk Evaluation: CI PV29

On October 30, EPA announced the availability of a revised draft risk evaluation for CI Pigment Violet 29 or PV29 (CASRN 81-33-4) 

After completing the original risk evaluation for PV29 in 2018, EPA received additional data about the chemical, including some from the only US manufacturer that makes PV29. In using this data to revise the draft risk evaluation, EPA found unreasonable risk to workers for 11 of the 14 conditions of use.

EPA will accept comments on the revised draft risk evaluation for 30 days.

What is CI Pigment Violet 29?

PV29 is a substance used to color materials and as an intermediate for certain high-performance pigments called perylene pigments. PV29 is used in car paints and coatings, commercial printing, and consumer watercolor paints. 

Under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21st Century (LCSA) amended TSCA to require, among other things, that EPA evaluate the risks of all chemicals on the TSCA inventory. EPA is expected to be at work on twenty chemical risk evaluations at any given time. 

EPA is knocking out these chemical risk evaluations at an impressive pace. Just a month ago on September 28, EPA released the final chemical risk evaluation for HBCD.  

Dec. 2–3 | Complete EPA Regulations Training

This unique two-day webinar covers the latest environmental regulations you should be familiar with for 2021: 

• EPA's new Waters of the US (WOTUS) Rule
• Major Lautenberg Law amendments to TSCA
• CSB's new chemical release reporting rule 
• The latest Clean Air Act requirements for facilities 

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Tags: chemicals, environmental compliance, new rules, TSCA