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PA SEEKS INCREASED IND. EFFORTS TO TEST HIGH PROD. VOL. CHEM.

Release Date: 01/10/97
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PA SEEKS INCREASED IND. EFFORTS TO TEST HIGH PROD. VOL. CHEM.

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1997

EPA ISSUES UPDATED MASTER TESTING LIST; SEEKS INCREASED INDUSTRY EFFORTS TO TEST HIGH PRODUCTION VOLUME CHEMICALS

As part of EPA's ongoing efforts to facilitate environmental stewardship in the chemical industry, the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has updated the Agency's Master Testing List (MTL). With the publication of its 1996 MTL, EPA strongly encourages increased efforts in the chemical industry to fulfill their commitment to environmental stewardship, specifically, conducting the appropriate testing to fill the priority data needs identified. Although EPA has the authority under section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to issue formal rules requiring chemical manufacturers, importers and processors to test chemicals listed on the MTL, the Agency has developed programs that provide industry greater flexibility in developing needed data. EPA seeks to obtain test data more efficiently, effectively and cooperatively via Enforceable Consent Agreements and Voluntary Testing Agreements which provide the flexibility to consider pollution prevention and other types of risk reducing product stewardship actions by the chemical industry as a possible substitute for or adjunct to the needed testing. EPA believes that chemical companies with product stewardship programs will recognize the importance of promptly filling the data needs identified via the MTL. Testing is needed for these chemicals to provide the public, industry and government with information necessary to understand the hazards/risks posed by chemicals used in consumer and other products and/or released to the environment. In the Dec. 13, 1996 issue of the Federal Register (61 FR 65939) EPA's OPPT announced the availability of the 1996 update to the MTL. Almost all of the chemicals identified on the MTL are domestically produced in high volumes (i.e., more than 1 million pounds/year). The revisions add more than 300 individual chemicals and four chemical categories and remove more than 75 chemicals that have completed testing. The 1996 MTL now contains over 500 individual chemicals and 13 chemical categories and represents EPA's TSCA Chemical Testing Program priorities for 1996-1998. While testing is underway on almost 300 chemicals, testing actions need to be taken on more than 200 chemicals. The identification of these testing needs provides an opportunity for chemical companies to demonstrate their corporate responsibility by initiating activities to develop the needed data. The 1996 MTL also has a new format and is publicly available in hard copy form and electronically at -- https://www.epa.gov/opptintr/main/ctibhome.htm. For further information about the MTL or EPA's TSCA Chemical Testing Program, contact Charles Auer at 202-260-3749.

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