Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Notice.must.be.submitted.at.least.30.days.before.manufacture.begins,.triggering.a.
30-day.period.for.EPA.review.and.action.
Eligibility.for.an.LVE.is.based.on.the.manufacture.of.a.new.chemical.in.quan-
tities.of.10,000.kilograms.(kg).or.less.per.year.
.Eligibility.for.a.LoREX.is.based.
on. meeting. several.regulatory.criteria. throughout. the. processes.of.manufacturing,.
processing,.distribution,.use,.and.disposal.of.the.chemical.substance..These.include,.
for.consumers.and.the.general.population,.no.dermal.or.inhalation.exposure.and.no.
drinking.water.exposure.greater.than.1.milligram.(mg).per.year..For.workers,.there.
can.be.no.dermal.or.inhalation.exposure;.there.can.be.no.releases.to.ambient.surface.
water. in. concentrations. above. 1. part. per. billion. (ppb);. no. releases. to. the. ambient.
air. from. incineration. in. excess. of. 1. microgram.per. cubic. meter. (1. µg/m
3
);. and. no.
releases. to. groundwater,. land,. or. a. landill. unless. it. is. demonstrated. that. there. is.
negligible.groundwater.migration.potential.[15]..Once.the.EPA.notiies.the.applicant.
that.an.exemption.has.been.granted,.or.if.the.review.period.expires.without.notice.
from. the. EPA,. manufacture. or. import. of. the. chemical. substance. can. commence,.
consistent.with.the.terms.of.the.exemption.
4.1.2 epa Oppt n
anOteChnOlOgy
i
nitiatives
The. EPA's. Ofice. of. Pollution. Prevention. and. Toxics. (OPPT),. the. program. ofice.
tasked.with.implementing.TSCA,.has.been.very.active.over.the.past.several.years.in.
the.nanotechnology.area..Several.initiatives.are.relevant,.each.of.which.is.described.
below.
...
nanoscale Materials stewardship Program
The.OPPT.announced.in.2005.its.interest.in.considering.how.best.to.obtain.much-
needed.data.and.information.on.existing.engineered.nanoscale.materials,.and.con-
vened,.in.June.2005,.a.public.meeting.to.discuss.various.options.[16]..The.discussion.
at. the. public. meeting. yielded. a. consensus. that. a. voluntary. program. designed. to.
obtain. existing. and. new. information,. and. new. data. on. engineered. nanoscale. sub-
stances.has.signiicant.value.
Shortly.thereafter,.the.EPA.decided.to.create.an.Interim.Ad.Hoc.Work.Group.on.
Nanoscale.Materials.(Work.Group).as.part.of.the.National.Pollution.Prevention.and.
Toxics.Advisory.Committee.(NPPTAC),.a.federal.advisory.group.tasked.with.advis-
ing.the.OPPT.on.TSCA.and.related.pollution.prevention.matters..The.Work.Group.
was.formed.to.provide.input.to.the.NPPTAC.on.the.need.for,.and.design.of,.a.vol-
untary.program.for.reporting.information.pertaining.to.existing.chemicals.that.are.
engineered.nanoscale. materials,.and. the. information.needed.to. inform.adequately.
the.conduct.of.such.a.program.
.EPA.40.C.F.R..§.723.50(a)(2),.(g).(2007)..This.review.period.can.be.suspended.to.allow.the.EPA.a.
longer. review. period.. The. EPA. approved. the. irst. LoREX. for. what. is. believed. to. be. a. single. wall.
carbon.nanotube.in.October.2005..The.review.and.approval.period.was.13.months..See,.e.g.,.TSCA.§.
5(a),.(c),.15.U.S.C..§.2604(a),.(c).(2006);.EPA.40.C.F.R..§.720.75..The.review.period.can.be.extended.
repeatedly..
.See.EPA.40.C.F.R..§.723.50(a),.(c).(2007)..One.kilogram.is.equivalent.to.2.2.pounds.
