EPA Announces Environmental Justice Consultations on Risk Management Rulemakings for Methylene Chloride and 1-Bromopropane
For Release: November 3, 2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding webinars to consult with environmental justice communities on risk management for methylene chloride and 1-bromopropane. The webinars are open to the public and will focus on the environmental justice impacts of the agency’s development of proposed rules to address the unreasonable risks identified in the final TSCA risk evaluations for these chemicals.
EPA is holding two identical consultation webinars, one on November 16 and the other on November 19. Both sessions will address methylene chloride and 1-bromopropane. EPA is offering these repeated sessions to increase opportunities for participation. Both sessions will provide an overview of the TSCA risk management requirements, the findings from the final risk evaluations, the tools available to manage the unreasonable risks from methylene chloride and 1-bromopropane, and discussion of environmental justice concerns. In addition to being open to the public, EPA is inviting national, local and non-governmental organizations, communities, and other interested stakeholders to participate.
In addition to environmental justice consultations, EPA is executing a robust outreach effort on risk management that includes one-on-one meetings with stakeholders and formal consultations with small businesses, state and local governments, and tribes. There will also be an open public comment on proposed risk management regulations.
Background
Under TSCA, EPA is required to evaluate the risks associated with existing chemicals in commerce using the best available science before taking action to address any unreasonable risks. The agency has issued two final risk evaluations, methylene chloride in June 2020 and 1-bromopropane in August 2020, both showing unreasonable risks to workers and consumers under certain conditions of use. EPA is now moving to risk managment for these chemicals, the next step in the process required by TSCA.
Learn more about the risk evaluation process required by TSCA.