2012 Chemical Data Reporting Summary Released

EPA released the 2012 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) information on more than 7,600 chemicals in commerce. The CDR database contains use and exposure information on the most widely used chemicals in the United States. This report is for calendar year 2011. EPA received reports on 7,674 chemicals, including 354 that were reported as used in children's products. 1,704 chemicals were reported as used in consumer products and 3,073 were used in commercial applications or products. The remaining chemicals reported were for industrial use only.

The CDR information includes data on chemicals that are used in children's products such as toys, playground and sporting equipment, arts and crafts materials, and textiles and furniture. The CDR rule was issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The rule requires companies that manufacture or import chemicals to report manufacturing and import data every 4 years when site-specific production volume exceeds 25,000 lb.

 In 2012, EPA required companies to substantiate confidentiality claims in order to ensure that as much information as possible is made available to the public. Also, companies are now required to provide information on chemicals used in children's and other consumer products, along with reports on commercial applications and industrial uses of chemicals. EPA has begun a process to identify potential chemicals for near-term review and risk assessment under TSCA.

In 2012, the agency released a work plan of 83 chemicals for further review as part of its existing chemicals management program. From that list, seven chemicals were identified for risk assessment development in 2012 and 18 for assessment in 2013 and 2014. In January 2013, EPA released for public comment and peer review an initial set of draft risk assessments of five chemicals for particular uses found in common household products .

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.
For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Environmental - EHS Consultant in Iowa

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental health and safety consultant services to clients across Iowa. Services provided include:

Iowa Air Permitting Consultant - Iowa Air Emission Compliance Expert
Compliance Auditing in Iowa
Waste Water Permitting Support
Due Diligence Services In Iowa
Stormwater Permitting and Compliance Expert
ISO 14001 Consultant - Environmental Management Systems
Spill Control - SPCC Plans and SPCC Rule Compliance
Short term Temporary EH&S staffing in Iowa
Hazardous Waste trianing - RCRA training in Iowa



For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Grant To Assist Iowa Anhydrous Ammonia Facilities With Compliance

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has received a $30,000 grant for EPA Region 7 to assist with outreach, education and implementation of the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program (RMP) at sites that handle anhydrous ammonia. All fertilizer facilities that handle, process or store more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia are subject to EPA’s chemical safety requirements. There are approximately 700 agricultural retail anhydrous ammonia facilities in Iowa.

EPA Region 7 receives more accidental release reports for ammonia than for any other chemical. In addition to releases caused by transportation accidents, human error and equipment failure, a number of releases have been caused by anhydrous ammonia thefts.

Retailers were first required to be in compliance with the Risk Management Program in 1999. EPA then started facility inspections and enforcement of the program, which includes five components: hazard assessment system, management, accident prevention, emergency response and submittal of a risk management plan.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Inventory Update Reporting Rules Temporarily Suspended

EPA has passed a final rule amending the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 8(a) Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) regulations by suspending the next IUR submission period. This final rule is effective May 11, 2011. The IUR requires manufacturers (including importers) of certain chemical substances included on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory (TSCA Inventory) to report current data on the manufacturing, processing, and use of the chemical substances.

In the Federal Register of August 13, 2010, EPA published proposed modifications to the IUR regulations. EPA is suspending the next submission period to allow additional time to finalize the proposed modifications to the IUR regulations, and to avoid finalizing changes to the reporting requirements in the midst of the 2011 submission period. EPA expects to finalize, in the near future, changes to the IUR reporting requirements which will supersede this action.

The IUR final rule had established June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011, as the second of a series of recurring submission periods for the IUR. The current action suspends the second IUR submission period, which is the next IUR submission period. Thus, the submission of IUR data for the next submission period will be neither required nor accepted until the suspension has been lifted or superseded by subsequent EPA action. This is needed due to the length of time which has been necessary to complete work on the proposed modifications and to avoid finalizing changes to the reporting requirements in the midst of the 2011 submission period. This is a one-time suspension of the next submission period only, and it does not alter the timing of subsequent submission periods.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

TSCA 2010 Reports Accepted Starting June 1, 2011

Calendar year 2010 is a reporting year for the TSCA Inventory Update Rule (IUR). The IUR is one of the most widely applicable requirements under TSCA; reporting is required for both manufacturers and importers of TSCA regulated chemicals (even if chemicals were imported for your own use).

EPA is still finalizing the requirements for this reporting period, consequently, the 2010 reports cannot be submitted at the present time. EPA is expecting to publish the final guidance documents in May 2011, with the proposed reporting period beginning a month later (June 1, 2011) and continuing until the end of September. The submission will be web-based, using the EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) site.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients in Iowa offering TSCA and EPCRA reporting technical support, TSCA IUR reporting, and preparing cost-effective chemical tracking & management programs.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Iowa TSCA 2011 IUR Inventory Update Rule Reporting

Calender year 2010 was a reporting year under the TSCA Inventory Update Rule (IUR), and operations in Iowa that are subject to IUR reporting will need to submit reports in 2011. Under Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), every five years companies that either manufacture or import chemicals or mixtures of chemicals on the “TSCA List” must report their activities. The reporting requirement, referred to as the “Inventory Update Rule”, or IUR, is only one of several requirements in TSCA. The IUR requirements are the most broadly applicable of all the TSCA requirements.

When are 2011 IUR reports due?

According to the Chemical Control Division at the Environmental Protection Agency the submission period for 2011 TSCA IUR reporting is from June 1 - September 1, 2011. However, there are proposed changes to what is required for submittal. These were drafted last July, but these changes have not yet been approved. EPA expects that the submittal requirements will be finalized by at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the reporting period (by May 1, 2011).

If approved as drafted, the majority of information required will be from 2010, however, there will also be additional production data required from the years 2006 - 2010.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to determine applicabilty of Inventory Update Rule reporting to operations, prepare IUR reports to be submitted to US EPA, and to develop cost effective chemical tracking programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

HBCD, NP, NPE Action Plans Under TSCA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released action plans to address the potential health risks of benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and nonylphenol (NP)/nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). The chemicals are widely used in both consumer and industrial applications, including dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundry detergents. The plans identify a range of actions the agency is considering under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The range of actions on these chemicals include adding HBCD and NP/NPE to EPA’s new Chemicals of Concern list, issuing significant new use rules for all three chemicals, and, for HBCD and benzidine dyes, imposing new reporting requirements on EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory and potentially banning or limiting the manufacture or use of the chemicals.

In addition to EPA actions, the Textile Rental Services Association has committed to voluntarily phase out the use of NPEs in industrial liquid detergents by Dec. 31, 2013 and industrial powder detergents by the end of 2014.

EPA first announced that it planned to develop the Chemicals of Concern list last December, which indicates that the chemicals may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment, under a previously unused TSCA authority.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Regulatory Compliance Updates - EHS Rule Compliance

Caltha LLP maintains several websites to provide regulatory updates and discussion of current environmental, health and safety topics, as listed below. Interested parties can register to receive automatic notification when a new topic is posted.

SWPPP - Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans - Stormwater Permits - Stormwater Training
Discussions and comments on stormwater permitting programs in all States, including industrial, municipal (MS4) and construction sites. Topics include general stormwater permits, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, monitoring, training, spill prevention and control, SPCC compliance.

Water Quality Standards - Aquatic Toxicology - NPDES Permit Limits
Discussion of a variety of topics related to State and Federal water quality standards, ambient water quality criteria, sediment criteria, NPDES & site-specific discharge standards, water quality management, aquatic toxicology, aquatic community impacts, and water quality assessment.

Environmental Sustainability - Sustainable Environmental Management Systems
Discussion of sustainability topics, including pollution prevention, waste reduction, material reuse, environmental management systems, product stewardship, and international environmental standards.

Environmental Due Diligence - Site Assessments - Phase I ESA - Environmental Liability
Discussions and comments regarding environmental due diligence, environmental liabilities, CERCLA liabilities, Phase I environmental site assessments, corporate liabilities, environmental compliance liabilities, quantitative environmental liability assessment.

Regulatory Briefings
Regulatory Briefings are published periodically by Caltha to highlight new or proposed regulations on a wide range of environmental, health & safety topics. These briefings are generally 2- to 4-pages in length and provide an overview of the regulations and discuss potential impacts on the regulated community. Participants must sign up to receive an email link to new Regulatory Briefings as they are posted.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Iowa to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website

Iowa Environmental Consulting - EH&S Consultant Services

Caltha LLP provides expert technical consulting services to private and public sector clients across Iowa. For further information, clink on links below:

Iowa (IDNR) Air Permit Compliance – Air Emission Permitting Services
Iowa (IDNR) Stormwater Permit Compliance – Storm Water Permitting Services
Iowa (IDNR) Environmental Assessment– Phase I (Phase 1) ESA Services
Iowa Environmental Audit – Environmental Compliance Services
Iowa RCRA Compliance Services
Iowa Haz Com – Hazard Communication Compliance Services

For further information, contact Caltha LLP at:
Email: info@calthacompany.com
Website: http://www.calthacompany.com/

Iowa Environmental Consultant Services

Caltha LLP is an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Consultant serving a broad range in public and private sector clients in Iowa.

Caltha’s practice areas include:

• Air permitting
• Wastewater permitting
• Stormwater permitting
• Environmental review
• Waste management consulting
• ISO 14001 – Environmental management system consulting
• EH&S Training
• Site assessment & environmental due diligence
• Risk assessment
• Hazard communication
• Product stewardship support
• Temporary EHS staffing

For further information, contact Caltha LLP at:
Email: info@calthacompany.com
Website: http://www.calthacompany.com/

Federal Mercury Export Ban Act

In October 2008, the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 was signed into law. The Act amendments the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Act, sponsored by Senator Barack Obama, places controls on the use, export and storage of elemental mercury. Key elements of the Act are:

PROHIBITION ON SALE, DISTRIBUTION, OR TRANSFER OF ELEMENTAL MERCURY BY FEDERAL AGENCIES. Beginning in October 2008, no Federal agency can convey, sell, or distribute to any other Federal, State or local government agency, or any private individual or entity any elemental mercury.

PROHIBITION ON EXPORT OF ELEMENTAL MERCURY. Effective in 2013, the export of elemental mercury will be banned. This part also requires that a report be made to Congress by October 2009 that summarizes the current and projected production, uses and export of mercury from the US. This part also offers case-by-case exemptions for "essential uses" of mercury for which suitable alternatives are not available.

LONG-TERM STORAGE. The Mercury Export Ban Act also requires that the Federal government create by 2013 storage facilities for mercury wastes generated in the US.

Caltha LLP provides technical support to companies nationwide to maintain compliance with TSCA and other regulatory programs.

For further information, contact Caltha LLP at:
Email: info@calthacompany.com
Website: http://www.calthacompany.com/