US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues list prohibiting food contact chemical phenol isopropylated phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)) under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); EPA will ban processing, distribution and release in water of PIP (3:1); currently under assessment in EU for endocrine disrupting as well as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties
November 24, 2020
US EPA extends PV29 TSCA evaluation comment period
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extends comment period for draft risk evaluation of C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV29) under its TSCA regulation; new draft adds previously confidential business data, solubility testing data, workplace air monitoring; concludes 11 of 14 conditions of use for PV29 pose unreasonable risk; toxicity debate ongoing also in Europe; EPA extends comment period for the revised draft until December 19, 2020
November 23, 2020
US government and stakeholders debate how to improve recycling
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets target national recycling rate of 50% by 2030; stakeholders identify recycling data gaps as key limitation; call for new national standards and legislation improving reporting, use of recycled content; upcoming changes in government administration create uncertainty
July 31, 2020
Critics call for review of US EPA’s final new use rule on PFAS
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes final significant new use rule (SNUR) for set of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); final version omits language applying rule to interior-facing surface coatings, results in call for formal inspection of rule making process by government officials; Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) criticizes agency for non-transparent approval of new PFASs via process exemptions
June 22, 2020
US EPA rejects setting perchlorate limits in drinking water
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces that no federal limits will be set on perchlorate in drinking water; administration defends decision as necessary to remove overregulation, health advocates argue it is illegal and unscientific
January 6, 2020
U.S. EPA: updates on substance risk evaluations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes identification of next 20 high-priority substances for risk evaluation, includes 12 food contact chemicals; still reviewing public comments on low-priority substances
November 13, 2019
U.S. EPA protocol for systematic review of PFAS toxicity
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opens comment period on systematic review protocols for the assessment of five per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); comments accepted until December 23, 2019
October 10, 2019
Using high-throughput screening data in FCM assessment
ILSI North America publishes case studies comparing U.S. EPA in vitro ToxCast data with in vivo toxicity data for food contact chemicals, identifies potential as well as challenges integrating high-throughput screening data into safety assessments
August 19, 2019
U.S. EPA considers phthalate risk evaluations
Agency requested by industry to conduct risk evaluations on DINP and DIDP; NGOs criticize request as attempt to block state action; public comment on the matter open until October 3, 2019
July 15, 2019
U.S. objects to plastic waste trade agreements
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sends letter objecting to adoption of plastic waste trade regulations between OECD member states, against recent Basel Convention amendments
