Late Submissions Boost Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program Participation
The first phase of EPA's voluntary Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) has closed on July 28. While it first looked like there would not be much participation, a wave of last minute contributions let the list of both companies and nanomaterials considered grow.
Under EPA's Basic Program, participants are invited to voluntarily report available information on the engineered nanoscale materials they manufacture, import, process or use.
Two weeks before the deadline for participation in the ‘Basic Program’ of the US EPA’s Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP), the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association’s (SOCMA) Nanotechnology SME Coalition, American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Nanotechnology Panel, the NanoBusiness Alliance, released a joint statement in support of the NMSP.
As of August 5, 2008, 20 organisations covering more than 90 nanoscale materials have been listed on the website of EPA's Basic Program. Among them are BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Evonik/Degussa and many more. The Program website now lists some of the non-confidential contributions by a series of participants. They can be viewed here. Overall, most of the relevant information was rated confidential and is therefore not publicly available. The most comprehensive data available is probably provided by DuPont, which submitted their NanoRisk Framework Output worksheets for two materials.
However, even in the light of these submissions, it is unclear if the last-minute additions will be enough to avoid an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test rule. The surge of submissions comes only a few days after comments on the possibility of a Section 8 rule by Jim Willis, Director the Chemical Control Division (CCD) in EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. CCD is responsible for the implementation of EPA’s new and existing chemicals programs, the chemical testing program, and special projects such as the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, the HPV Challenge and the PFOA Stewardship program. The EPA has the authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to use the rule mechanism to obtain additional information regarding nanoscale materials and other chemical substances.
Despite the last minute rush of submissions, the level of participation may still fall far short of the agency’s original estimates of 100-200 companies which should provide information. Willis had also indicated a desire to collect data on at least 100 nanoscale materials.
Under the In-depth Program, participants will voluntarily develop data, including testing, over a longer time frame. Only three commitments have been recorded for the In-depth-Program yet.