Document K65bawZzE1BwkJvd468BdJEzw

Volume 6, Number 2 Inside Newt Reader Survey 2 Features 3 Big News 4 Recent Releases 5 Fall 1994 In an effort to provide o|ir readers with the most current informa- tion available, we hav^ put CHEMSTAR News under construc- tion to make a few modifications. We appreciate the com- ments our readers STVt to us via a survey from the last edition of the News, and VPe hope to incorporate as many of the suggestions as possiihie. Because your ideas are important to us, we have included a survey in this edition as well. Please take a few moments to answer the questions and fax the survey to us at 202/887-5427. You can find the survey on the back of tljdspage. If you'd like to : discuss your ideas, pleas^ call Kim Reed at 202/887-1191. Again, many thinks and please s,,,'*H*ants***' * pardon our dust----- . ^j' ' 1 i y o s CMA 030981 READER SURVEY TO: FROM: CHEMSTAR News .(optional) The editors of CHEMSTAR News want to provide our readers with the most useful and enlightening i ^formation available. We are overhauling the Newsletter to f o cus on your needs and wants. Please take a moment to answer t tie following questions: 1. What elements of CHEMST,AR News do you find useful? 2. What items would you sufggest adding to the Newsletter? 3. What items would you suggest deleting? 4. Is the Newsletter too long or too short? 5. Do you have any additio nal comments? Return by fax to Kim Reed at 202/887-5427 CMA 030982 Fall 1994 BIG NEWS Diisocyanates Panel V/ins MDI Ruling On July 19,1994, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed EPA's decision to place methylene diphenyl diisocyanate on a "high risk" list for purposes of theClean Air Act Amendments of 1990. MDI is a precursor ofvarious polyurethane foams and resins used in the manufacture of upholstery, insulation, wood and auto mobile coatings and other products. In 1992, EPA placed MDI on its list of high-risk air pollutants, a list statuto rily reserved for "pollutants for which high risks of adverse public health ef fects may be associated with exposure to small quantities...." EPA made this determination based on the results of a generic air dispersion model and an inhalation reference concentration for MDI from its Integrated Risk Informa tion System. The Diisocyanates Panel appealed EPA's listing decision to the U.S. Court ofAppeals. CMA arguedfirst thatEPA's generic air dispersion model did not take into account the actual physical characteristics of MDI. Although MDI has a low vapor press1ure and tends to disperse as an aeroi^ol, EPA's generic model was designee for a gas. Inaddidon, CMA objected that the RfC calculated for MDI was be:sed on nasal irritadon, an adverse hea|llth effect not suffirientiy serious to wi^rrant a "high risk" designation under thie statute. Based on a review of the EPA model and the Panel's te<|hni<cal comments, the Court ruled that EPA's model was not tailored to the ph;lysical charactens tics of MDI and that EPA's designation of MDI as high-risk vas "arbitrary and capricious." In the area of ad^ ierse healtheffects, the Courtwas unwilfinig toaccept EPA's argument that revielrsible nasal irrita- don formed a ratiioi rial basis for listing MDI as a high risk pollutant. Accord- ingly, the Court rule|d that EPA's use of the RfC based on nasali: rritation was inappropriate in lia|iting MDI as high riskbecause the Agi;e icy had previously indicated that it wi only consider pollutants with "ser}<ous" health effects for the high risk list The ruling will benefit the entire regulated community by providing a precedent for chal lenging Agency decisions, es pecially where models are in appropriately used. The Court was critical of EPA in empha sizing that an agency has an obligation to respond specifically and thoughtfully to public com ments. In addition, the Court held EPA to its criteria that the high risk list would be comprised only of pol lutants associated with serious health effects. Thus MDI is not likely to be regulated on the basis of its IRIS RfC alone -- at least not when serious health effects are required. With this opinion, the Court sig nalled that the Agency must use a realistic model and continue to re spond meaningfully to public com ments. For more information, con tact Cecilia Spearing at 202/8872305. CMA 030983 NEWS BRIEFS Biocides n th Road (Ottawa, Canada, June 2) The Biocides Panel pre sented a workshop onbiocides and their uses to regulators from Environment Canada, Health and Welfare Canada, and Agriculture Canada. The workshop was designed to provide regulators with spe cific informationon industrial processes, biocide application points, industrial hygiene practices of workers, occupational and envi ronmental exposure, and EPA's tiered testing scheme. Through educational sessions like this workshop, the Panel hopes to encourage streamlining of Canadian regulatory processes by sharing information with the agen cies. For more information, contact Dr. Has Shah at 202/887-1192. Neurot x J int M ting (Washington, DC, Jutiy26) Members of ths CHEMSTAR Neurotoxicity Technic il Task Group met with EPA scient:ists to discuss the multisubstance n<leurotoxicity test program. Focus wasson the scheduled controlled operant beitf1iavior (SCOB) test, The meetingproviided a forum for study directors and sponi X)i:rs to demonstrate to EPA the magnilude of industry efforts toward develo]iping the SCOB test for use in a regulsti:ory arena and the level of the coordi tion effort to standardize the testing p:rogram. EPA and industry partitipanlits agreed that the joint meeting was extremely productiveand generated e|cellent discussions among the scientist i on technical issues related to the com4uct of the studies. For more infbrmatifr<n, contactBarbara Francis at 202/887 1314. Neurotox G es Public (Washington, DC, July 28) Representatives of the CHEMSTAR Neurotoxicity Work Group, an indus try coalition formed in response to a 1991 EPA proposed test rule, attended the public meeting held by the Agency to identify parties interested in consent agreement negotiations on the multisubstance rule for the testing of neurotoxicity. On June 27, 1994, the Agency issued an administrative stay of the testing required under the multisubstance rule and proposed to revoke the final test rule as part of the settlement agreement signed by manu facturers of these chemicals and the Agency. Manufacturers had agreed to conduct neurotoxicity testing under enforceable consent agreements on seven of the ten chemicals subject to the final test rule. At the public meeting, industry representatives and EPA were able to propose a schedule which would complete the enforceable consent agree ments by December 1994. For more information, contact Barbara Francis at 202/887-1314. CHEMSTAR NEWS Is pubtshed quarterly as a service ofChemical H oniufocwrtrs Association, Chemical Selffunded Technical Advocacy and Research Division. No special pemusnor Is required to quote or reproduce from this pubtcobon. Credit is appreciated when reproducing erodes. Correspondence may be serum CHEMSTAR NEWS, 2SQI M Street N.W, Washington, DC 20037; Telephone 202/88 '-1337; Fax 2021897-5427. Mm Reed and Laura Sutton, Editors; Laura Levis, Layout. i mi \im \r CMA 030984 Fall 1994 Comments Comments to EPA on the Hazard ous Air Pollutants Proposed Regula tions Governing Constructed, Recon structed or Modified Major Sources Under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act (filed by the Phthalate Esters Panel, June 30,1994). Comments to EPA on the Hazardus Air Pollutants Proposed Regula tions Governing Constructed, Recon structed or Modified Major Sources Under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act (filed by the Diisocyamtes Panel, June 30,1994). Comments to EPA on the Hazard ous Air Pollutants Proposed Regula tions Governing Constructed, Recon structed or Modified Major Sources Under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act (filed by the Cresols Panel, June 30, 1994). Comments to EPA on the Hazard ous Air Pollutants Proposed Regula tions Governing Constructed, Recon structed or Modified Major Sources Under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act (filed by the Cumene Panel, June 30, 1994). Comments to EPA on the Hazard ous Air Pollutants Proposed Regula tions Governing Constructed, Recon structed or Modified Major Sources Under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act (filed by the Ketones Panel, June 30, 1994). Comments to GreenSeal on Green Seal's Proposed Environmental Stan dard for Anti-Corrosive Paints and Pe tition to Remove MEK and MIBKfrom the Restricted Chemicals List (filed by the Ketones Panel, July 14,1994). Comments to OECD on Status Re port on Views on Derestriction (filed by the Brominated Flame Retardants Industry Panel, July 151994). Comments to the Department of Energy on Document on Global Warming Potentials (filed fry the Atmospheric Research Council, Awigust 1,1994). Comments to i:pa<on Request for Modification of 4-'yinyl Cyclohexane Consent Order(fileii fry the Olefins Panel, August 6,1994). Comments to EPA on National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants Second. iry Lead Smelters Proposed Rule(filet1 fry the Olefins Panel, August 8,1994). Comments to (he Department of Transportation on the DOT Final Rule on Intermediate Biillc Containers for Hazardous Materia Is (filed by the Hydrazine Panel, August 25,1994). Comments to IPA on EPA's Proposed Alternate Threshold for Toxics Release Reporting filed by the Biocides Panel, August 25,19$4). Comments to the Department of Transportation on tl re Implementation of United Nations Recommendations for Hazardous Ma terials Transport (filed by the Vinyl Chi iride Panel, Septem ber 6,1994). Comments to liPA on the Interagency Testing Co:mmittee's Recommendation for the Testing of White Phosphorusffiledbyt iePhosphorusPanel, September 26,1994). Federal Register Notices "Fuels and Fuel Additives Regietration Regulation:s; Final Rule," (59FR33042, June 27, 1994). "Glycol Ethers Category; Toxic Chemical Release Rjc(; porting Community Right-to-Know, ' (59FR34386,July 5,1994). "Thirty-Fourth Report oftheTSCA Interagency Testing Committee to the Administrator; Receipt of Report and Request for Comments," (59FR35720, July 13,1994). "Notice of Workshop on Ecological Risk Assess ment Issue Papers," (59FR38972,August 1,1994). "Final Report: Prin ciples of NeurtoxidtyRisk Assessment; Notice," (59FR42360, August 17, 1994). W "Testing Guidelines for Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity," (59FR42272, August 17, 1994). "Proposed Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System," (59FR44678, August 30,1994), h- / U us cc "Colloquium on Ecological Risk Assessment Issues, " (59FR46644, September 9,1994). "Air Quality Revision to Defi nition of Volatile Organic Com pounds Exclusion of Acetone," (59FR49877, September 30,1994). Final Reports "104 Week Dietary Carcinoge nicity Study with 1,2,4Trichlorobenzene in Mice," (Chlo robenzene Panel, June 15,1994). "104 Week Dietary Carcinoge nicity Study with 1,2,4Trichlorobenzene in Rats," (Chlo robenzene Panel, June 15,1994). "Isopropanol Vapor Inhala tion Oncogenicity Study in Fischer 344 Rats," (Isopropanol Panel, June 17,1994). Fall 1994 CMA 030985 III MM \l-' CMA 030986 Fall 1994