Scope of regulation
Risk evaluations
Prioritization for risk evaluations
Establishment of process
Not later than 1 year after , the Administrator shall establish, by rule, a risk-based screening process, including criteria for designating chemical substances as high-priority substances for risk evaluations or low-priority substances for which risk evaluations are not warranted at the time. The process to designate the priority of chemical substances shall include a consideration of the hazard and exposure potential of a chemical substance or a category of chemical substances (including consideration of persistence and bioaccumulation, potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations and storage near significant sources of drinking water), the conditions of use or significant changes in the conditions of use of the chemical substance, and the volume or significant changes in the volume of the chemical substance manufactured or processed.
Identification of priorities for risk evaluation
High-priority substances
The Administrator shall designate as a high-priority substance a chemical substance that the Administrator concludes, without consideration of costs or other nonrisk factors, may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment because of a potential hazard and a potential route of exposure under the conditions of use, including an unreasonable risk to a potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation identified as relevant by the Administrator.
Low-priority substances
The Administrator shall designate a chemical substance as a low-priority substance if the Administrator concludes, based on information sufficient to establish, without consideration of costs or other nonrisk factors, that such substance does not meet the standard identified in clause (i) for designating a chemical substance a high-priority substance.
Information request and review and proposed and final prioritization designation
Initial risk evaluations and subsequent designations of high- and low-priority substances
Initial risk evaluations
Not later than 180 days after , the Administrator shall ensure that risk evaluations are being conducted on 10 chemical substances drawn from the 2014 update of the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments and shall publish the list of such chemical substances during the 180 day period.
Additional risk evaluations
Not later than three and one half years after , the Administrator shall ensure that risk evaluations are being conducted on at least 20 high-priority substances and that at least 20 chemical substances have been designated as low-priority substances, subject to the limitation that at least 50 percent of all chemical substances on which risk evaluations are being conducted by the Administrator are drawn from the 2014 update of the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments.
Continuing designations and risk evaluations
The Administrator shall continue to designate priority substances and conduct risk evaluations in accordance with this subsection at a pace consistent with the ability of the Administrator to complete risk evaluations in accordance with the deadlines under paragraph (4)(G).
Preference
Metals and metal compounds
In identifying priorities for risk evaluation and conducting risk evaluations of metals and metal compounds, the Administrator shall use the Framework for Metals Risk Assessment of the Office of the Science Advisor, Risk Assessment Forum, and dated March 2007, or a successor document that addresses metals risk assessment and is peer reviewed by the Science Advisory Board.
Initiation of risk evaluations; designations
Risk evaluation initiation
Upon designating a chemical substance as a high-priority substance, the Administrator shall initiate a risk evaluation on the substance.
Revision
The Administrator may revise the designation of a low-priority substance based on information made available to the Administrator.
Ongoing designations
The Administrator shall designate at least one high-priority substance upon the completion of each risk evaluation (other than risk evaluations for chemical substances designated under paragraph (4)(C)(ii)).
Risk evaluation process and deadlines
In general
The Administrator shall conduct risk evaluations pursuant to this paragraph to determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, without consideration of costs or other nonrisk factors, including an unreasonable risk to a potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation identified as relevant to the risk evaluation by the Administrator, under the conditions of use.
Establishment of process
Not later than 1 year after , the Administrator shall establish, by rule, a process to conduct risk evaluations in accordance with subparagraph (A).
Requirement
Scope
The Administrator shall, not later than 6 months after the initiation of a risk evaluation, publish the scope of the risk evaluation to be conducted, including the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the Administrator expects to consider, and, for each designation of a high-priority substance, ensure not less than 12 months between the initiation of the prioritization process for the chemical substance and the publication of the scope of the risk evaluation for the chemical substance, and for risk evaluations conducted on chemical substances that have been identified under paragraph (2)(A) or selected under subparagraph (E)(iv)(II) of this paragraph, ensure not less than 3 months before the Administrator publishes the scope of the risk evaluation.
Limitation and criteria
Percentage requirements
Requested risk evaluations
section 2625(b) of this titleRequests for risk evaluations under subparagraph (C)(ii) shall be subject to the payment of fees pursuant to , and the Administrator shall not expedite or otherwise provide special treatment to such risk evaluations.
Preference
In deciding whether to grant requests under subparagraph (C)(ii), the Administrator shall give preference to requests for risk evaluations on chemical substances for which the Administrator determines that restrictions imposed by 1 or more States have the potential to have a significant impact on interstate commerce or health or the environment.
Exceptions
Requirements
Deadlines
Notice and comment
The Administrator shall provide no less than 30 days public notice and an opportunity for comment on a draft risk evaluation prior to publishing a final risk evaluation.
Promulgation of subsection (a) rules
Deadlines
Requirements for rule
Statement of effects
Selecting requirements
In selecting among prohibitions and other restrictions, the Administrator shall factor in, to the extent practicable, the considerations under subparagraph (A) in accordance with subsection (a).
Consideration of alternatives
Based on the information published under subparagraph (A), in deciding whether to prohibit or restrict in a manner that substantially prevents a specific condition of use of a chemical substance or mixture, and in setting an appropriate transition period for such action, the Administrator shall consider, to the extent practicable, whether technically and economically feasible alternatives that benefit health or the environment, compared to the use so proposed to be prohibited or restricted, will be reasonably available as a substitute when the proposed prohibition or other restriction takes effect.
Replacement parts
In general
The Administrator shall exempt replacement parts for complex durable goods and complex consumer goods that are designed prior to the date of publication in the Federal Register of the rule under subsection (a), unless the Administrator finds that such replacement parts contribute significantly to the risk, identified in a risk evaluation conducted under subsection (b)(4)(A), to the general population or to an identified potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation.
Definitions
Articles
In selecting among prohibitions and other restrictions, the Administrator shall apply such prohibitions or other restrictions to an article or category of articles containing the chemical substance or mixture only to the extent necessary to address the identified risks from exposure to the chemical substance or mixture from the article or category of articles so that the substance or mixture does not present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment identified in the risk evaluation conducted in accordance with subsection (b)(4)(A).
Procedures
Effective date
In general .—
Variability .—
Polychlorinated biphenyls
Mercury
Prohibition on sale, distribution, or transfer of elemental mercury by Federal agencies
Except as provided in paragraph (2), effective beginning on , no Federal agency shall convey, sell, or distribute to any other Federal agency, any State or local government agency, or any private individual or entity any elemental mercury under the control or jurisdiction of the Federal agency.
Exceptions
Leases of Federal coal
Nothing in this subsection prohibits the leasing of coal.
Exemptions
Criteria for exemption
Exemption analysis and statement
In proposing an exemption under this subsection, the Administrator shall analyze the need for the exemption, and shall make public the analysis and a statement describing how the analysis was taken into account.
Period of exemption
The Administrator shall establish, as part of a rule under this subsection, a time limit on any exemption for a time to be determined by the Administrator as reasonable on a case-by-case basis, and, by rule, may extend, modify, or eliminate an exemption if the Administrator determines, on the basis of reasonably available information and after adequate public justification, the exemption warrants extension or modification or is no longer necessary.
Conditions
As part of a rule promulgated under this subsection, the Administrator shall include conditions, including reasonable recordkeeping, monitoring, and reporting requirements, to the extent that the Administrator determines the conditions are necessary to protect health and the environment while achieving the purposes of the exemption.
Chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic
Expedited action
No risk evaluation required
The Administrator shall not be required to conduct risk evaluations on chemical substances that are subject to paragraph (1).
Final rule
Not later than 18 months after proposing a rule pursuant to paragraph (1), the Administrator shall promulgate a final rule under subsection (a).
Selecting restrictions
In selecting among prohibitions and other restrictions promulgated in a rule under subsection (a) pursuant to paragraph (1), the Administrator shall address the risks of injury to health or the environment that the Administrator determines are presented by the chemical substance and shall reduce exposure to the substance to the extent practicable.
Relationship to subsection (b)
If, at any time prior to the date that is 90 days after , the Administrator makes a designation under subsection (b)(1)(B)(i), or receives a request under subsection (b)(4)(C)(ii), such chemical substance shall not be subject to this subsection, except that in selecting among prohibitions and other restrictions promulgated in a rule pursuant to subsection (a), the Administrator shall both ensure that the chemical substance meets the rulemaking standard under subsection (a) and reduce exposure to the substance to the extent practicable.
Final agency action
Definition
For the purposes of this chapter, the term “requirement” as used in this section shall not displace statutory or common law.
Pub. L. 94–469, title I, § 690 Stat. 2020Pub. L. 99–519, § 3(c)(1)100 Stat. 2989Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title III, § 317(a)120 Stat. 2142Pub. L. 110–414, § 3122 Stat. 4342Pub. L. 114–182, title I, § 6130 Stat. 460(, , ; renumbered title I, , , ; amended , , ; , , ; , , .)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(1)2016—, substituted “Prioritization, risk evaluation, and regulation of chemical substances and mixtures” for “Regulation of hazardous chemical substances and mixtures” in section catchline.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(2)(A)section 2617 of this titleSubsec. (a). –(D), in introductory provisions, substituted “determines in accordance with subsection (b)(4)(A)” for “finds that there is a reasonable basis to conclude” and “so that the chemical substance or mixture no longer presents such risk” for “to protect adequately against such risk using the least burdensome requirements”, struck out “or will present” after “presents”, and inserted “and subject to , and in accordance with subsection (c)(2),” after “shall by rule”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(2)(E)Subsec. (a)(1)(A), (2)(A). , inserted “or otherwise restricting” after “prohibiting”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(2)(F)Subsec. (a)(3). , inserted “minimum” before “warnings” in two places.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(2)(G)Subsec. (a)(4). , substituted “or monitor or conduct tests” for “and monitor or conduct tests”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(2)(H)Subsec. (a)(7). , substituted “such determination” for “such unreasonable risk of injury” in subpar. (A) and for “such risk of injury” in subpar. (B).
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(3)Subsec. (b). , amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) related to quality control procedures in the manufacturing or processing of a chemical substance or mixture to prevent unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(4)Subsec. (c). , amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) related to promulgation of subsection (a) rules.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(5)(B)Subsec. (d)(1), (2). , added pars. (1) and (2) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “The Administrator shall specify in any rule under subsection (a) the date on which it shall take effect, which date shall be as soon as feasible.” Former par. (2) redesignated (3).
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(5)(A)Subsec. (d)(3). , redesignated par. (2) as (3).
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(5)(C)(i)(I)section 2605(a) of this titleSubsec. (d)(3)(A). , in introductory provisions, substituted “, and compliance with the proposed requirements to be mandatory, upon publication in the Federal Register of the proposed rule and until the compliance dates applicable to such requirements in a final rule promulgated under or until the Administrator revokes such proposed rule, in accordance with subparagraph (B), if” for “upon its publication in the Federal Register and until the effective date of final action taken, in accordance with subparagraph (B), respecting such rule if”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(5)(C)(i)(II)Subsec. (d)(3)(A)(i)(I). , inserted “without consideration of costs or other non-risk factors” after “effective date”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(5)(C)(ii)Subsec. (d)(3)(B). , substituted “in accordance with subsection (c), and either promulgate such rule (as proposed or with modifications) or revoke it.” for “, provide reasonable opportunity, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c), for a hearing on such rule, and either promulgate such rule (as proposed or with modifications) or revoke it; and if such a hearing is requested, the Administrator shall commence the hearing within five days from the date such request is made unless the Administrator and the person making the request agree upon a later date for the hearing to begin, and after the hearing is concluded the Administrator shall, within ten days of the conclusion of the hearing, either promulgate such rule (as proposed or with modifications) or revoke it.”
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(6)Subsec. (e)(4). , substituted “paragraph (3)” for “paragraphs (2), (3), and (4)”.
Pub. L. 114–182, § 6(7)Subsecs. (g) to (j). , added subsecs. (g) to (j).
Pub. L. 110–4142008—Subsec. (f). added subsec. (f).
Pub. L. 109–364, § 317(a)(1)2006—Subsec. (e)(3)(A). , (b), temporarily substituted “subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D)” for “subparagraphs (B) and (C)” in introductory provisions. See Termination Date of 2006 Amendment note below.
Pub. L. 109–364, § 317(a)(2)Subsec. (e)(3)(B). , (b), temporarily substituted “but not more than 1 year from the date it is granted, except as provided in subparagraph (D)” for “but not more than one year from the date it is granted” in concluding provisions. See Termination Date of 2006 Amendment note below.
Pub. L. 109–364, § 317(a)(3)Subsec. (e)(3)(D). , (b), temporarily added subpar. (D) which read as follows: “The Administrator may extend an exemption granted pursuant to subparagraph (B) that has not yet expired for a period not to exceed 60 days for the purpose of authorizing the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments to provide for the transportation into the customs territory of the United States of polychlorinated biphenyls generated by or under the control of the Department of Defense for purposes of their disposal, treatment, or storage in the customs territory of the United States if those polychlorinated biphenyls are already in transit from their storage locations but the Administrator determines, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, they would not otherwise arrive in the customs territory of the United States within the period of the original exemption. The Administrator shall promptly publish notice of such extension in the Federal Register.” See Termination Date of 2006 Amendment note below.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Termination Date of 2006 Amendment
Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title III, § 317(b)120 Stat. 2142
Effective Date
section 31 of Pub. L. 94–469section 2601 of this titleSection effective , see , set out as a note under .