North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Chemicals Management ForumJim JonesActing Assistant AdministratorOffice of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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Sound Management of Chemicals at the CEC

• Part of Healthy Communities & Ecosystems area of the 2010-15 CEC Strategic Plan

• Ministers provided direction for SMOC core work:– Establish compatible approaches to identify & track

chemicals in commerce– Implement risk reduction strategies– Environmental monitoring & assessment to support risk

reduction strategies

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

Highlights of Recent CEC SMOC Activities

• Identify & track chemicals in commerce– Support compilation of national chemical inventory in Mexico– Compare three countries’ inventories to identify potential

substances of interest to all three

• Implement risk reduction strategies– Analyze country regulations for specific chemicals– Training workshops to improve risk assessment approaches

• Environmental monitoring & assessment– Training to increase effectiveness of monitoring & assessment– Support creation of monitoring sites in Mexico

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

EPA Chemical Management Efforts

• A key priority of Administrator Jackson is assuring the safety of chemicals

• Support reform the Toxic Substances Control Act • Use existing tools to ensure a workable,

consistent, comprehensive approach for existing chemicals

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

Enhancing EPA’s Chemicals Management Program

• Multi-pronged Approach for Existing Chemicals Program Strategy:– Risk assessment and risk management– Data collection and screening – Public access to chemical

data and information

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

EPA Risk Assessment & Management

• 2009 –2011: Developed ten chemical action plans which outlined potential risks and associated risk management actions or alternative assessment efforts.

• March 2012: Following stakeholder engagement on criteria, EPA released a work plan of 83 chemicals for review and assessment.

• EPA will identify more candidates for assessment.

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

EPA Data Collection & Screening

• Developing an approach to screen compounds to determine need for:– risk assessment– additional data

• This year, EPA will engage stakeholders on:– Accessing existing data sources – Utilizing Chemical Data Reporting information– Future screening and data collection approaches

Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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Public Access to Chemical Data & Information

• EPA has greatly increased transparency– Launched Chemical Data Access Tool – Increased chemical information in Data.Gov and

Envirofacts – Challenged companies and trade associations to decrease

new CBI claims and declassify old claims– Issued new policies for review of CBI claims for

health & safety studies – Stakeholder process on presenting data to the public

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

EPA Alternatives Assessment

• Green Chemistry & Green Engineering Programs– Recognize greener chemicals and

technologies– Encourage design of safer chemicals from

the outset• Design for the Environment Program– Promote design of safer consumer,

industrial and institutional chemical-based products

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

In Conclusion

• Sustained progress in ensuring chemical safety requires active participation & collaboration from all of us

• Understanding chemicals in commerce, monitoring and developing risk reduction strategies important to North American sound management of chemicals

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Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention