Toxic Chemicals

OSHA has established a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) focused on identifying and reducing or eliminating the health hazards to workers posed by occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium (CrVI) and a number of other toxic substances often found together with it. The purpose of the NEP is to reduce significantly the number of workers who are exposed to hexavalent chromium and toxic substances associated with is use, including antimony, arsenic, cadmium, calcium oxide, cobalt,copper fume

On March 16, OSHA published a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) to revise requirements for notifying employees of their exposure to hexavalent chromium.  The action was taken in response to a ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Public Citizen Health Research Group v. Dept. of Labor, 557 F.3d 165 (3d Cir.

The European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) took effect June 1, 2008, replacing 40 laws governing industry’s use of chemicals within the European Union (EU). In this column we will focus on REACH’s most immediate requirements that are already affecting U.S. companies doing business in the EU. 

On April 21, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson signed a final rule to reinstate stricter reporting requirements for industrial and federal facilities that release toxic substances that threaten human health and the environment.

EPA is ready to release preliminary assessments of more than 80 chemicals produced in high or moderate volume and has identified some chemicals for which it may need rules to force manufacturers to conduct testing or collect data. EPA might need to issue a test rule for eight chemicals and a data-collection rule for another 10 chemicals.