Most Efficient Designation Label For Consumer Products

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced a new product recognition label for the most energy-efficient products in their category. The new designation of “Most Efficient” aims to provide all manufacturers with an incentive for greater product energy efficiency while providing consumers new information about the products that comprise the top tier in the categories.

Products that receive the Most Efficient designation demonstrate exceptional efficiency performance. The Most Efficient recognition will represent approximately the top 5% of models on the market in the following categories: clothes washers, heating and cooling equipment, televisions, and refrigerator-freezers.

Consumers will be able to identify Most Efficient products on the Energy Star website and in stores by looking for the Most Efficient designation. In addition to meeting established performance requirements, products must also be Energy Star qualified and certified by an EPA-recognized certification body. EPA is encouraging manufacturers to submit products that meet the requirements for recognition.

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

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EPA Revokes CBI For Some TSCA Studies

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made public the identities of more than 150 chemicals contained in 104 health and safety studies that had previously been claimed confidential by industry. For these 104 studies, the chemical identity will no longer be redacted. The chemicals involved are used in dispersant formulations and consumer products such as air fresheners, non-stick and stain resistant materials, fire resistant materials, nonylphenol compounds, perfluorinated compounds, and lead.

In 2010, EPA requested that the industry voluntarily declassify unwarranted claims of confidential business information (CBI). The agency also issued new guidance outlining plans to deny confidentiality claims for chemical identity in health and safety studies under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Based on this guidance, EPA notified a number of companies in February 2011 that the agency had determined that their CBI claim was not eligible for confidential treatment under TSCA and that EPA intended to make the information public. The health and safety studies include some declassified by the agency and other voluntary declassifications by companies in response to EPA’s 2010 request.

In addition to these actions, EPA has recently taken other steps to make chemical information more readily available. The agency has provided the public with free access to the consolidated TSCA Inventory on the EPA and Data.Gov websites. EPA also launched a new chemical data access tool gives the public the ability to electronically search EPA’s database of more than 10,000 health and safety documents on a wide range of chemicals.

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

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TSCA Confidential Business Information Claims Denied

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified five companies that the identities of 14 chemicals associated with a number of health and safety studies submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and claimed as confidential are not eligible for confidential treatment. Last year, EPA put in place a plan to review confidentiality claims for the name of chemicals addressed in health and safety studies. Under these new procedures EPA is moving to declassify many chemical identities so they are no longer secret. EPA expects that more chemical names connected with health and safety studies will be released in the future. The agency plans to deny confidentiality claims for chemical identity in health and safety studies provided to the agency under TSCA unless the chemical identity contains process or mixture information that is expressly protected by the law.

EPA has begun reviewing past CBI claims for chemical identity in health and safety studies. Where EPA determines that the information is not eligible for confidential treatment under the law, the agency will notify companies of the determination and that EPA will make the information public on the 31st day after receiving the determination unless the company challenges the disclosure in federal court.

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

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Partnership To Share Technical Data On Chemical Hazards

U.S. EPA and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have announced a partnership to promote enhanced technical cooperation on chemical management activities. ECHA implements the European Union’s chemical management program known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). The partnership was formalized through a statement of intent at the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) meeting in Washington, D.C. The statement describes a process for cooperating on a range of issues of mutual interests including toxicity testing, the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals, risk management tools, scientific collaboration, and information exchange.

A major area of collaboration will be in the exchange of data and information between ECHA and EPA, including non-confidential information on hazards, uses, and substance identification, and data collected under REACH. The two agencies will also share criteria for managing confidential business information (CBI).

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Ohio 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