Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
On. November. 22,. 2005,. the. NPPTAC. issued. its.
Overview Document on
Nanoscale Materials
,.which.outlines.a.framework.for.an.EPA.approach.to.a.vol-
untary.program.for.engineered.nanoscale.materials,.a.complementary.approach.
to.new.chemical.nanoscale.requirements.under.TSCA,.and.various.other.relevant.
issues.pertinent.to.engineered.nanoscale.materials.that.are.chemical.substances.
[17,.18]..The.voluntary.program.was.named.the.Nanoscale.Materials.Steward-
ship.Program.(NMSP)..The.Overview.Document.provides.that.the.“overall.goal.
of. EPA's. program. regarding. engineered. nanoscale. materials. should. focus. on.
addressing.the.potential.risks.of.such.materials.to.human.health.and.the.envi-
ronment,.thereby.giving.the.public.reasonable.assurances.of.safety.concerning.
such.materials.”
Inclusion.of.the.expression.“reasonable.assurances.of.safety”.was.questioned.by.
some.NPPTAC.members.on.the.grounds.that.it.could.be.interpreted.as.suggesting.
a.standard.different.from.the.“may.present.an.unreasonable.risk”.standard.set.forth.
in.TSCA's.statutory.language..The.NPPTAC.ultimately.agreed.that.the.“assurances.
of.safety”.language.as.an.“overall.goal”.of.the.NMSP.was.not.reasonably.likely.to.
supplant.the.TSCA.legal.standard,.and.that.it.fairly.articulated.the.overall.goal.of.the.
EPA's.program.regarding.engineered.nanoscale.materials.
Scope of the Program:
. According. to. the. Overview. Document,. the. voluntary.
program.is.intended.to.encompass.engineered.nanoscale.materials.now.in.or.“soon.
to. enter”. commerce.. “Soon. to. enter”. was. deined. as. “applying. to. pre-commercial.
new.and.existing.chemical.engineered.nanoscale.materials.for.which.there.is.clear.
commercial. intent. on. the. part. of. the. developer,. excluding. such. materials. that. are.
only.at.the.research.stage,.or.for.which.commercial.application.is.more.speculative.
or.uncertain.”
Elements of the NPPTAC Program:
. The. Work. Group. expressed. its. view. that.
program.participants.should.be.offered.the.choice.of.participating.in.a.“Basic”.Pro-
gram.or.in.a.more.“In-Depth”.Program.that.included,.in.addition.to.all.the.elements.
of.the.Basic.program,.the.commitment.to.generate.and.report.more.in-depth.infor-
mation,.and.implement.more.in-depth.risk.management.practices.
Both. of. the. proposed. programs. —. Basic. and. In-Depth. —. are. voluntary,. and.
participation. in. either. would,. according. to. the. NPPTAC,. offer. beneits. for. those.
willing. to. provide. information. and. agree. to. implement. appropriate. risk. manage-
ment.practices..Under.the.NMSP,.participants.would.volunteer.one.or.more.speciic.
engineered.nanoscale.materials.that.they.are.developing,.producing,.processing,.or.
using,.but.need.not.necessarily.volunteer.all.of.their.materials..Information.provided.
by.participants.relevant.to.understanding.and.addressing.the.potential.risks.of.engi-
neered.nanoscale.materials.will.be.made.publicly.accessible,.limited.as.appropriate.
by. protections. applicable. to. conidential. business. information. (CBI). as. described.
under.TSCA.
Basic Program Participation:
.Participation.in.the.Basic.Program.of.the.NMSP.
would. consist. of. the. following. three. sets. of. activities. for. each. volunteered. engi-
neered.nanoscale.material:
