Export notifications

An EPA rule issued on Nov. 14 establishes concentration threshold levels for chemicals below which manufacturers will not be required to notify the agency about exports of those substances. Chemical manufacturers were previously required to notify EPA if a chemical shipped abroad was regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act, even if there was only a trace level of the substance. "EPA is finalizing the requirement that export notification will not be required for chemical substances or mixtures if the chemical is being exported at a concentration of less than 1% by weight or volume, unless that chemical substance or mixture is a known or potential human carcinogen," the agency says in the Federal Register notice (Nov. 14, page 66234). The rule also changes other notification practices, such as allowing EPA to provide a one-time export notification to countries that receive a chemical regulated under TSCA, rather than annual notifications. EPA estimates that the measure will save chemical manufacturers at least $75,000 per year and reduce the number of export notifications the agency receives by 20%.