EDF Health

ChAMP: Not exactly a heavyweight

By / Published: April 20, 2009

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

[Earlier posts in this series can be found here and here.]

Over the past decade, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pursued a voluntary program, the High Production Volume (HPV) Chemical Challenge, as a means to fill the enormous gaps in publicly available data on the hazards of the most widely used chemicals in the U.S. Using the Challenge data, EPA has recently begun assessing HPV chemicals under its Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP). But is ChAMP up to the job? Read More »

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EPA’s New Chemicals Program: TSCA dealt EPA a very poor hand

By / Published: April 16, 2009

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

[The first post in this series can be found here.]

Some in the chemical industry point to EPA’s New Chemicals Program as a robust program, one that could serve as a model for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  Most recently, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) did so in its testimony at a recent House of Representatives subcommittee’s TSCA oversight hearing.  So just how robust is EPA’s program on new chemicals?  Read More »

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What should TSCA reform look — and not look — like?

By / Published: April 15, 2009

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

For the past several years, EDF has been in the thick of discussions about whether the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) needs reform and, if so, what form it should take.  Happily, the former question has largely been answered:  With only a few remaining holdouts, even the chemical industry acknowledges the time has come.  So now we can move on to what such reform should look like – and what it should not. Read More »

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Our blog is expanding!

By / Published: April 8, 2009

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

You may have noticed some subtle changes to the look of this page.  That’s because EDF has decided to expand the focus of this blog to include the policy, legislative, regulatory and scientific issues surrounding the health and environmental impacts of chemicals, as well as nanomaterials. Read More »

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REACHing for nano

By / Published: April 2, 2009

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

In a previous post, I argued that the European Union’s REACH Regulation for chemicals goes a long way to address the regulatory needs for nanomaterials – despite the fact that REACH never mentions nano and was not developed with nano in mind.  I also noted, however, that REACH will clearly need more than fine-tuning to ensure adequate nano oversight.  Apparently at least some in the European Parliament agree.  Read More »

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Regulating nano-silver as a pesticide

By / Published: February 12, 2009

Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist.

In May 2008, the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) submitted a petition to EPA requesting that it regulate nano-silver used in products as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  The petition calls on EPA to take the following specific actions:

  1. Classify nano-silver as a pesticide.
  2. Determine that nano-silver is a new pesticide and require its registration as such.
  3. Analyze the potential risks of nano-silver to human health and the environment.
  4. Take enforcement actions against nano-silver-containing products being sold illegally without EPA approval under FIFRA. Read More »
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