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EPA Fines Dial Corporation for Chemical Export Violations

Release Date: 6/5/2003
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, (415) 947-4248

     SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined the Dial Corporation $19,800 for failing to first notify the EPA of its chemical exports to other countries, violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
   
     The Scottsdale, Ariz. company failed to report its export of sodium nitrite to the Bahamas, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Arab Emirates in 1998 and to Suriname in 1999.  Ethyl acetate was exported to Bahrain in 2001 and isopropanol was exported to the United Arab Emirates in 1998.
     
     The exported solvents were contained in finished household products.
   
     The EPA must determine whether proper exposure-related data has been conducted on chemicals prior to leaving the U.S. and ensure that chemicals with restrictions are not exported to other countries without first informing the EPA or the receiving country. Once the EPA receives export notification, the agency provides the chemical information to the governments of the importing countries to give those countries sufficient notice for their own regulatory response.
   
    "The law requires companies such as Dial to inform the EPA of their chemical exports to prevent harm associated with improper exposure in the importing countries," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest region.

    Dial recently implemented an automated compliance management system to track chemicals being exported overseas and facilitate future compliance.

Information about exporter responsibility can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/sect12b.htm