Proposed Significant New Use Rule for Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes; Reopening of Comment Period
On July 28, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice announcing that it is reopening the comment period for a proposed significant new use rule (SNUR) for a specific multi-walled carbon nanotube. Previously, the proposed SNUR had been amended by the EPA to anhance clarity.
The proposed SNUR would require persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process the substance for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by the proposed rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. A SNUR only applies to the specific chemical substance described in the corresponding Premanufacture Notice (PMN) to the authority. This SNUR does therefore not cover all sorts and modifications of CNTs.
According to the Federal Register notice, EPA received several comments in response to the proposed SNUR. One commenter noted that neither the proposed rule nor the docket contained specific carbon nanotube data or data supporting the nature of the dermal concern for carbon nanotubes reported in the SNUR. Another commenter noted that EPA's subsequent reviews and concerns for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have expanded and that the proposed SNUR should reflect those updated data.
EPA will address those comments when it issues the final SNUR, and has therefore added additional explanation and references of its health and environmental concerns for carbon nanotubes. EPA is hereby reopening the comment period for 30 days to allow for any public comments in response to this additional data.
In August 2009, EPA has already withdrawn SNURs for two specific multiwalled and singlewalled CNTs after having received a notice of intent to submit adverse comments.
Source:
Federal Register: July 28, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 144)