Chapter 3: A Guide to Materials Available on the Internet Pertaining to the Toxic Substances Control Act

TSCA Links

FIRFA Links

EPCRA Links

Proposition 65 Links

EPA's regulations implementing TSCA are codified at 40 C.F.R. pts. 700-799. These CFR sections are available online through the National Archives and Records Administration's website, which includes a searchable version of the Code of Federal Regulations (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/) and a continuously updated electronic CFR ("e-CFR") that can be found at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/).

EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) is the office responsible for implementing TSCA and FIFRA. The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances (OPPT) implements TSCA while the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) implements FIFRA. OPPT's mission and organizational structure is described in a webpage located at http://www.epa.gov/oppts/pubs/aboppts.htm

OPPT maintains a Chemical Library with a homepage that can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/library. The library also may be reached by telephone at (202) 260-5922. Chemical databases and software programs produced by or for OPPT can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/tools/opptdb.htm. The Substance Registry System (http://www.epa.gov/srs/) allows searches by chemical identity (CAS Number and chemical name) to obtain all EPA chemical information, documents and regulations pertaining to the chemical.

Historical documents concerning the history of TSCA are available on a website maintained by EPA's History Office at http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/tsca/index.htm.

OPPT maintains a regulatory docket that includes documents pertaining to proposed regulations and comments on regulatory proposals submitted by industry and the public. The website is temporarily out of service. Comments on proposed regulations may be submitted by email.

The TSCA Interagency Testing Committee (ITC), an independent advisory committee consisting of representatives from 15 federal agencies who review priorities for testing chemicals under TSCA, maintains a website at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/itc that explains its work. OPPT's use of TSCA to generate toxicity information on chemicals is summarized at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/chemtest/index.htm EPA's New Chemical Program under § 5 of TSCA has a webpage at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/newchems/.

Responding to concerns that very little toxicity information is available for most chemicals produced in high volumes in the United States, EPA has launched the Chemical Right-to-Know Initiative in April 1998. The initiative, which challenges chemical manufacturers and importers to voluntarily test high production volume chemicals, has created a webpage located at http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk. EPA is currently conducting a program of testing to screen chemicals that may be disrupting the endocrine system (glands and hormones) of humans and wildlife. The agency's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program has a website located at: http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/index.htm.

Several webpages discuss EPA's activities to control the risks posed by specific chemicals. EPA's activities to control risks from products containing asbestos are summarized at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/index.html A"Lead Page" describes OPPT's efforts to control lead exposure at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/index.html. EPA's TSCA Biotechnology Program is explained at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/biotech.

A comprehensive practitioner's guide to TSCA is published by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), E. Brown, et al., TSCA Deskbook (1999) and can be ordered online from ELI at http://www.eli.org/.  EPA maintains a Toxic Substances Control Act Assistance Information Service that can be reached by telephone at (202) 554-1404.

The American Chemistry Council (formerly the Chemical Manufacturers' Association) maintains a website at http://www.americanchemistry.com/. It provides a daily news digest concerning developments that may affect chemical regulation and links to information about the council's program, including the Responsible Care Program that seeks to eliminate accidents, injuries and harm to the environment from the chemical industry. The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) also maintains a website locate at http://www.socma.com/.

A GUIDE TO MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET PERTAINING TO THE FEDERAL INSECTICIDE, FUNGICIDE AND RODENTICIDE ACT (FIFRA)

EPA's regulations implementing FIFRA are codified at 40 C.F.R. pts. 150-189. These CFR sections are available online through the National Archives and Records Administration's website, which includes a searchable version of the Code of Federal Regulations (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/) and an electronic version ("e-CFR") that is continuously updated, which can be found at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/).

EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) is the office responsible for implementing FIFRA and TSCA. The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) implements FIFRA while the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances (OPPT) implements TSCA. OPP's webpage is at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides. It contains news updates concerning developments in pesticide regulation, information about registration and pesticide use, labeling, and consumer alerts, and links to sources of pesticide data, scientific information, and laws and regulations.

EPA's OPP maintains a Public Regulatory Docket that can be accessed online at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/docket/. OPPT's website also has several links to databases containing pesticide information at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/tools/opptdb.htm. These include the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) (formerly the National Pesticide Telecommunication Network - NPTN) operated by EPA and the Oregon State University Department of Agricultural Chemistry, which has a webpage at http://npic.orst.edu/ and a software program that estimates worker exposure to pesticides.

Documents concerning the history of FIFRA are available on a website maintained by EPA's History Office at http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/fifra/index.htm. Information on the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/laws/fqpa/.

The National Coalition Against Misuse of Pesticides, an environmental organization, has a website located at http://www.beyondpesticides.org/. It provides news, consumer alerts and access to publications about pesticide safety issues.

A GUIDE TO MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET PERTAINING TO THE EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT (EPCRA)

EPA's regulations implementing EPCRA are codified at 40 C.F.R. pts. 355-372. These CFR sections are available online through the National Archives and Records Administration's website, which includes a searchable version of the Code of Federal Regulations (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/) and a continuously updated electronic CFR ("e-CFR") that can be found at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/).

EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances makes chemical release data from the agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) available to the public online at its website at http://www.epa.gov/tri/.  The site allows visitors to search the TRI data using the latest version of the agency's TRI Explorer, a search tool for accessing the data. It also includes links to explanations of what the TRI is, fact sheets reviewing the 1999 data, EPA guidance documents on the program, TRI regulations, and recent EPCRA petitions. The site also includes links to EPA's TRI Assistance Library (TRIAL) that includes information to assist those filing TRI reports, including industry-specific and chemical-specific regulatory guidance documents, and the Toxics Release Inventory -- Made Easy (TRI-ME) Pilot, an intelligent software tool to help facilities determine their compliance obligations under § 313.

The national environmental organization Environmental Defense has created a website that allows visitors to obtain TRI data on chemical releases sorted by their zip codes and to send faxes objecting to the releases to companies that are among the largest of the dischargers. This website is located at http://www.scorecard.org/.

A GUIDE TO MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET PERTAINING TO CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 65

California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the state's lead agency for implementing Proposition 65, maintains a website that provides comprehensive information about the law, including links to the safe harbor regulations promulgated to implement the legislation and risk assessment information. The website is located at http://www.oehha.org/prop65.html OEHHA's Proposition 65 Implementation Office also can be contacted by telephone at (916) 445-6900.

News about the latest developments pertaining to Proposition 65 can be found at http://www.prop65news.com/, which describes itself as a "clearinghouse" for Proposition 65 information.