The Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 12 published its final rule (here) establishing formaldehyde emissions standards and import certification requirements for composite wood products. Though the agency released the text of the final rule in July (see 1607280021), publication of the final rule in the Federal Register sets compliance dates for the final rule’s requirements. Formaldehyde emissions standards, certification, testing and labeling requirements take effect Dec. 12, 2017, except for emissions standards, certification and testing requirements for laminated products, which take effect Dec. 12, 2023. Recordkeeping requirements for importers also take effect Dec. 12, 2017, with importers required to keep bills of lading, invoices, or comparable documents bearing a statement of Toxic Substances Control Act Title I and production records beginning on that date. Import certification requirements, including for composite wood products that are “articles” under CBP’s TSCA import regulations, take effect Dec. 12, 2018, EPA said.

The Environmental Protection Agency is making changes to the list of substances allowed and prohibited for the protection of stratospheric ozone, in a final rule (here). Effective Jan. 3, EPA is listing as acceptable the use of propane in certain refrigeration equipment, HFO-1234yf in certain motor vehicle air-conditioning systems and 2-BTP in certain fire suppression equipment on aircraft. Also effective that date, EPA is listing as unacceptable the use of all refrigerants identified or meeting the criteria of flammability class 3 in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. Finally, effective Jan. 1, 2024, EPA is changing the listing status to unacceptable for certain refrigerants used in centrifugal chillers, positive displacement chillers, cold storage warehouses, retail food refrigeration, household refrigerators and freezers and certain spray foams.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for two alkylpyrrolidones, N-ethylpyrrolidone (NEP) and N-isopropylpyrrolidone (NiPP), under significant new use rules (here). The proposed SNUR would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors, except use of NEP for the ongoing uses as a reactant, in silicone seal remover, coatings, consumer and commercial paint primer, and adhesives. Comments on the proposed SNUR are due Jan. 27.

The Environmental Protection Agency is amending significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 57 chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs) (here). As a result of the SNURs, persons planning to manufacture, import or process any of the chemicals for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule are required to notify EPA at least 90 days in advance. The direct final rule takes effect Jan. 17.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for three chemical substances, including functionalized carbon nanotubes, under significant new use rules (here). The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Comments on the proposed SNUR are due Nov. 28.

Exports of mercury (I) chloride or calomel, mercury (II) oxide, mercury (II) sulfate, mercury (II) nitrate, and mercury sulphide or “cinnabar” will be banned on Jan. 1, 2020, unless the chemicals are exported to member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for environmentally sound disposal, subject to certain conditions, the Environmental Protection Agency said (here). The respective Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Numbers of these substances are: 10112-91-1, 21908-53-2, 7783-35-9, 10045-94-0 and 1344-48-5. The U.S. government will allow such exports only if none of the compounds are expected to be recovered, recycled, “or reclaimed for use, or directly reused” after shipment, EPA said. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, enacted June 22, revised a number of TSCA provisions, and Congress directed EPA to publish a list of mercury compounds prohibited from export no later than 90 days after the law took effect.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for hydrochlorofluoropropane and hydrochlorofluoropropene under a significant new use rule (SNUR) (here). The proposed SNUR would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance from importers, manufacturers or processors that intend to use the chemicals. Comments on the proposed SNUR are due Sept. 23.

The Environmental Protection Agency (here) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (here) will soon issue a final rule setting stricter emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium-duty and heavy-duty engines and vehicles, they said. The new vehicle and engine performance standards will cover model years 2021-2027, applying to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks. The two agencies are also applying emissions and fuel efficiency standards to trailers for the first time, excluding mobile homes, with EPA standards taking effect beginning with model year 2018 and NHTSA standards taking effect for model year 2021. A copy of the final rule, which has yet to be published in the Federal Register, is available (here). EPA posted a fact sheet on the final rule (here).

The Environmental Protection Agency is increasing amounts of civil penalties for violations of the laws and regulations it administers, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and Toxic Substances Control Act, it said in an interim rule (here). The one-time “catch up,” which more than doubles some penalty amounts, was required by the Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, signed into law in November, and will be followed by annual adjustments for inflation.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed to add a category of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a chemical commonly used as a flame retardant in polystyrene foam, textiles and high-impact polystyrene foam found in appliances, to its list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. If the proposal is finalized, facilities that manufacture (including import), process or otherwise use HBCD in excess of the applicable threshold would be required to report certain information to EPA each year. Comments on the agency’s proposed rule (here) are due by Aug. 1.