Until June 2014, EPA had not completed a chemical risk assessment under its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authority in 28 years.  Since then, EPA seems to have been somewhat picking up the pace: Over the past year and a half EPA has completed four additional risk assessments through the TSCA Work Plan Chemical Program, which is designed to assess the risks of priority chemicals currently on the market.

Recently, EPA initiated its assessment process for the next set of Work Plan chemicals, including three "clusters" of flame retardant chemicals.  We fully support EPA's current efforts to assess the risks of these flame retardants -- with the end goal of managing identified risks -- and have provided quite extensive comments on EPA's initial scoping documents.  In this post, I'll highlight some of our comments and recommendations; see the links at the end to access the comments themselves. 

The Swedish Chemicals Agency, Kemi, is calling for an EU-wide regulation on hazardous chemicals in textiles, and a national regulation that restricts the emissions of "harmful substances" from building products.

Background: Safety assessment for repeated dose toxicity is one of the largest challenges in the process to replace animal testing. This is also one of the proof of concept ambitions of SEURAT-1, the largest ever European Union research initiative on alternative testing, co-funded by the European Commission and Cosmetics Europe. This review is based on the discussion and outcome of a workshop organized on initiative of the SEURAT-1 consortium joined by a group of international experts with complementary knowledge to further develop traditional read-across and include new approach data.

Objectives: The aim of the suggested strategy for chemical read-across is to show how a traditional read-across based on structural similarities between source and target substance can be strengthened with additional evidence from new approach data -- for example, information from in vitro molecular screening, "-omics" assays and computational models -- to reach regulatory acceptance.

Methods: We identified four read-across scenarios that cover typical human health assessment situations. For each such decision context, we suggested several chemical groups as examples to prove when read-across between group members is possible, considering both chemical and biological similarities.

This year, four of the nation's biggest home improvement and flooring retailers announced policies to phase out toxic phthalates in vinyl PVC flooring by the end of this month. Home Depot, Lowe's, Lumber Liquidators and Menards adopted these policies, driving a major multi-billion dollar market shift away from vinyl laden with phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make vinyl plastic soft and flexible.

These four policies are a major accomplishment for our Mind the Store campaign, which has been challenging major retailers to tackle phthalates and the other Hazardous 100+ Chemicals of High Concern in their supply chains.

Regulation and innovation are not words we generally associate with one another, especially when considering the interaction between governmental agencies and the coatings industry. And there is always robust debate about whether regulatory organizations are regulating too much or too little, depending on one's point of view. However, it is difficult to argue that regulatory changes and trends do not significantly influence both the products developed and a great deal of innovation in coatings formulations and their applications. When confronted with the challenges that regulatory changes present, the English proverb "necessity is the mother of invention" certainly seems appropriate.

Following the new ISO 14001 environmental management systems standard, the revision of its complementary standard, ISO 14004, has reached final draft stage and is slated for release on March 1, 2016.

The revised ISO 14004 aims to help organizations integrate an environmental management system such as ISO 14001 effectively into their business management.

More consumers than ever are inquiring about the makeup of cosmetics and other personal care products. The best anecdotal evidence? The pressure giant retailers Target and Walmart have put on their suppliers -- especially over the past year -- not just to disclose their use of "ingredients of concern" but to phase them out entirely.

For the most part, the retailers' past efforts have been very company-specific. Both companies have published lists of chemicals they'd like to see go, such as triclosan, diethyl phthalate and preservative compounds that release formaldehyde.

Now, however, Walmart and Target are taking this cause industry-wide in collaboration with non-profit Forum for the Future. All three are encouraging other retailers, consumer products companies and other interested parties to participate in the forum's Beauty and Personal Care Products Sustainability Project.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- University of Arizona researchers will be keeping tabs on Tucson Fire Department personnel over the next three years to learn more about what role chemicals from fires play in causing cancer among firefighters.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded ... $1.5 million to the university to conduct the study into the cancer impact of synthetic materials found in everyday household items that burn during fires.