The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reported to have now published scope documents for all of the 20 substances identified as high-priority for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The substances include five phthalates relevant for food contact materials (FCMs), namely butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP, CAS 85-68-7), di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP, CAS 117-81-7), dibuty phthalate (DBP, CAS 84-74-2), di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP, CAS 84-69-5) and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCP, CAS 84-61-7) (FPF reported). The documents themselves provide details for the conditions of use of the substances, as well as the hazards and exposures that are set to be reviewed during the course of the risk evaluation.

The scope documents are open for public comment until May 26, 2020 for the first set of 13 substance documents published earlier this month and for 45 days once the remaining seven are posted in the Federal Register docket related to each chemical. An EPA spokesperson told Chemical Watch that the agency “does not anticipate extending the public comment periods on the draft scopes, [but] as needs arise EPA will review and respond appropriately.”

Read more

Chemical Watch (April 20, 2020). “EPA releases scopes for seven more TSCA high-priority chemicals.”

US EPA (April 2020). “Draft Scope Documents for High-Priority Chemicals Undergoing Risk Evaluation.”

US EPA (April 2020). “Chemicals Undergoing Risk Evaluation under TSCA.”

Richard Denison (May 14, 2020). “NGOs call on EPA to revise the draft scopes for its upcoming risk evaluations to comply with TSCA and its own regulations.” Environmental Defense Fund

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