EDF Health

The nanotube SNURs: Nano step forward, nano step back

By / Published: August 21, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

In June, EPA published a Federal Register notice that included Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) for two carbon nanotubes (as well as 21 other chemicals). That notice certainly got the attention of lawyers in town (see here, here and here). The nanotube SNURs would require anyone planning to produce or process either of the two substances to notify EPA if the person intended not to comply with the (rather limited) risk management conditions specified by EPA. Well, as reported yesterday by Sara Goodman of E&E News, EPA is now withdrawing the SNURs, at least temporarily.

Read More »

Also posted in Nanotechnology, Regulation / Tagged Carbon nanotubes, Chemical identity, Confidential Business Information (CBI), Risk assessment, Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) | Read 3 Responses

Let the games begin: Dueling TSCA reform manifestos

By / Published: August 4, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) unveiled its “10 Principles for Modernizing TSCA.” Also today, the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition – of which EDF is a member – issued a news release and unveiled its 9-point “Platform for Reform of TSCA.” How do they line up? Read More »

Also posted in TSCA reform / Tagged Aggregate exposure, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Data requirements, Exposure and hazard, Formaldehyde, Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT), Prioritization, Risk assessment, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families | Read 6 Responses

O Canada!

By / Published: July 24, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Some time back, I promised a look at whether Canada’s Chemical Management Plan provides a model for TSCA reform. This post will provide that look. Bottom line: While our neighbor to the north has undertaken and accomplished a great deal over the past decade, it has done so with one hand tied behind its back. Read More »

Also posted in International, TSCA reform / Tagged Canada, Data requirements, Exposure and hazard, IUR/CDR, Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT), Prioritization, Risk assessment | Read 4 Responses

Hiding a toxic nanomaterial’s identity: TSCA’s disappearing act

By / Published: July 14, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

In earlier posts (here and here), I discussed a notice EPA had received in July of 2008 from BASF reporting toxic effects at very low doses of a carbon nanotube (CNT) observed in a 90-day rat inhalation study. In that notice, BASF had declared the specific identity of its CNT to be confidential business information, hence denying that information to the public. Now, in a setting more to its liking, it appears the company has decided to reveal the identity after all. Read More »

Also posted in Nanotechnology, Regulation / Tagged Carbon nanotubes, Chemical identity, Confidential Business Information (CBI), Government Accountability Office (GAO), Inhalation, Risk assessment | Read 1 Response

EPA announcement on ChAMP

By / Published: June 19, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

It probably goes without saying that EDF welcomes EPA’s decision to suspend the development and posting of risk-based prioritizations under its Chemical Assessment and Mangement Program (ChAMP). EDF has been arguing (see our earlier posts) that ChAMP’s “rush to risk” has taken EPA badly off-track. But we have also identified many useful things that EPA’s existing chemicals program can and should be doing with the data it obtained through the HPV Challenge (whether called ChAMP or not) .

We look forward to working with EPA to craft a new approach, grounded in a return to developing scientifically defensible hazard, not risk, characterizations and transparently identifying and addressing data gaps and data quality problems.

Also posted in Regulation / Tagged Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), Data requirements, EPA, High Production Volume (HPV), Prioritization, Risk assessment | Read 1 Response

Using ChAMP to Advance Alternative Testing Technologies

By / Published: June 16, 2009

Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist and Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Many of the screening-level hazard data being collected and analyzed under ChAMP that pertain to human health are derived from traditional laboratory animal studies. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently offered a “new paradigm for toxicity testing” in its 2008 report Toxicity Testing in the 21^st Century: a Vision and a Strategy. Can ChAMP hazard data be used to facilitate the development of new testing strategies? Read More »

Also posted in Health science, Regulation / Tagged Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), EPA, High Production Volume (HPV), In vitro, In vivo, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | Comments are closed

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