TSCA Chemical Risk Evaluation Now Available for Public and Science Review

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the draft risk evaluation for 1-bromopropane (1-BP), the fourth of the first ten chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA continues to meet the challenging timelines set out by amended TSCA. This comprehensive draft risk evaluation includes input from other EPA offices and federal agencies. The document will be peer reviewed by the TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC), a federal advisory committee with expertise in toxicology, dose-response, environmental risk assessment, exposure assessment, and related sciences.

EPA is going beyond what the TSCA statute requires by going through the SACC peer review process for each of the first 10 risk evaluations it releases in order to increase public transparency in the risk evaluation process. In today's draft risk evaluation for 1-BP, EPA did not find unreasonable risk to the environment under any of the conditions of use. The draft risk evaluation for 1-BP shows there could be unreasonable risks to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and by-standers under certain conditions of use.

The draft risk evaluation, including initial risk determinations as to whether the chemical under the conditions of use presents an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, is not final. Before a risk evaluation can be finalized, it needs to be made available for public comment among other things. If unreasonable risk is found for one or more conditions of use in a final risk evaluation, EPA will propose actions to address those risks within the timeframe required by TSCA.

The draft risk evaluation will undergo peer review by the SACC at a September 10-12, 2019 meeting. Please submit comments on the draft risk evaluation by August 30, 2019, to allow the SACC time to review and consider them before the peer review meeting. Comments received after August 30, 2019, and prior to the end of the oral public comment period during the meeting will still be provided to the SACC for their consideration. EPA will continue to accept comments on the draft risk evaluations until October 11, 2019. The Agency will consider all comments received on the draft risk evaluations by the October 11, 2019, deadline when developing the final risk evaluations. In addition, a preparatory virtual meeting to discuss the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions to the SACC will take place on August 21, 2019.

View the draft risk evaluation for 1-BP and a factsheet explaining the draft risk evaluation.

Learn more about the SACC peer review meeting.

Background

1-BP is a chemical used as a solvent in a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications, including spray adhesives and dry cleaning, and as a degreaser. 1=E2=80=91BP is primarily used as a solvent cleaner in vapor and immersion degreasing operations to clean optics, electronics and metals, and it has also been reported to be used as a solvent in industries using aerosol-applied adhesives such as those used in foam cushion manufacturing.