Updated chemical review status tracker enhances transparency, EPA says

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has updated its online chemical review status tracker to include active premanufacture, significant new use and microbial commercial activity notices for chemicals under EPA review.

Users can search monthly notice updates and download a spreadsheet that lists all active cases and their status.

“By making this tracker available online, for the first time the public will easily be able to learn where a particular new chemical is in the EPA review process,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an Aug. 1 press release. “With this step, the agency is following through on its commitment to transparency and is providing applicants, stakeholders and the public with an easy-to-use tool to monitor the progress of new chemical safety reviews.”

EPA also announced plans for further updates to the tracker:

• Providing direct links to certain premanufacture and significant new use notices via ChemView – the agency’s online database for chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 – later this year.
• Increasing the frequency of tracker updates in 2020.

“It is important to note that this tool will continue to keep confidential business information confidential,” the release states.