Nanomaterials Dossier in Review: Understanding the Evolution of U.S. and E.U. Regulatory Approaches to Protecting and Providing Access to Risk Data Information

Time: 12:00 to 1:00pm

Location: Chemical Heritage Foundation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to regulate the manufacture, use, testing, and disposal of engineered nanomaterials in the United States. The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) authorizes the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to regulate engineered nanomaterials in the European Union. The EPA and ECHA continue to face engineered-nanomaterials management challenges, such as obtaining risk data and providing access to chemical information, that are critical to TSCA and REACH implementation. This lecture will discuss EPA and ECHA attempts to protect legitimate confidential business information claims while furthering the goals of their respective chemicals authorities. The talk will also examine the issue in the context of California’s new Safer Consumer Products Regulation and possible TSCA reform. The lecture will incorporate findings from the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s oral-history collection.