New Design for the Environment Safer Product Labeling Program Requirements

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that more than 2,500 products are now authorized by the agency under its Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program to carry the DfE label. DfE-labeled products do not contain known chemicals of potential concern, including minor product components, like dyes and fragrances. EPA has also announced that it soon will require manufacturers with products that bear the DfE logo to disclose their ingredients to consumers. Products that carry the DfE label include all-purpose cleaners, laundry and dishwasher detergents, drain line maintainers, car and boat care and other products.

Before allowing the DfE logo to be used on a product label, EPA conducts a scientific evaluation to ensure that candidate products are formulated from the safest possible ingredients. The DfE label means that EPA has screened each ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and that the product contains only ingredients that, in EPA’s scientific opinion, pose the least concern among chemicals in their class.

EPA is also implementing a requirement that new DfE-labeled products list all ingredients (other than trade secrets) on the product label or in another easily accessible location. New DfE-approved products also will have to meet additional life-cycle requirements such as sustainable packaging and limits on volatile organic compounds. The new disclosure and life-cycle requirements will be phased in for existing DfE products.

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EPA Action Plan To Address MDI and TDI Hazards Under TSCA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released action plans to address the potential health risks of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and related compounds, used in certain applications such as spray foam insulation, sealing concrete or finishing floors. The plans identify a range of actions the agency is considering under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Actions to address concerns associated with TDI, MDI, and related compounds include issuing rules to call in data on any past allegations of significant adverse effects, obtain unpublished health and safety data from industry sources, require exposure monitoring studies for consumer products, and possibly ban or restrict consumer products containing uncured MDI or TDI. EPA plans to continue to work with other federal agencies, the polyurethanes industry, and others to improve labeling and to provide product safety information for polyurethane products containing uncured compounds, especially in consumer products.

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IRIS Assessments Continue for Methanol, MTBE, ETBE, Acrylonitrile

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its plan to address the four draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments that were placed on hold in June 2010, pending a review of some of the underlying studies relied on in the assessments. The four assessments were for methanol, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), and acrylonitrile.

EPA put the assessments on hold because of a report written by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a program administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The report outlined a review of research completed by the Ramazzini Institute, a lab in Italy that conducts animal testing to evaluate the potential cancer-causing effects of chemicals. The report recommended that further pathology reviews be carried out to resolve differences of opinion between NTP scientists and the Ramazzini Institute in the diagnoses of certain cancers reported in the study.

EPA and NIEHS have decided to jointly sponsor an independent Pathology Working Group (PWG) review, in cooperation with the Ramazzini Institute, of selected studies, including the methanol cancer assessment study. The review has begun and will continue over the next several months. The results will be made public and the cancer assessment for methanol will remain on hold until its completion.

The Ramazzini Institute diagnosed leukemias, lymphomas, or tumors in studies of MTBE and ETBE, and acrylonitrile. Based on other available data, EPA has determined that reliance on Ramazzini Institute study results is not necessary to continue with assessment development for MTBE, ETBE and acrylonitrile, including an assessment of cancer risks. Therefore, work on the assessments for the three chemicals will continue during the PWG review. When the four assessments (methanol, MTBE, ETBE, acrylonitrile) were put on hold in June 2010, two completed and publicly posted assessments (vinyl chloride and 1,1-dichloroethylene) were also identified as relying substantially on Ramazzini data. EPA plans to evaluate the results of the PWG review to inform conclusions about Ramazzini Institute tumor findings for these two assessments.

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