Pigment Violet 29: EPA extends comment period on revised draft risk evaluation

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has extended until Dec. 19 the comment period on a draft risk evaluation that states the chemical substance Pigment Violet 29 presents unreasonable risk to workers under certain conditions.

EPA recently reversed course on preliminary findings concerning Pigment Violet 29, which is primarily used as a colorant in consumer products such as paints, coatings, plastics and rubber products. The chemical substance is one of the first 10 chemicals to be evaluated for potential health and environmental risks under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.

Published in November 2018, the initial draft risk evaluation for Pigment Violet 29 was the first released under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which the Lautenberg Act amended. The evaluation found the chemical substance posed no unreasonable risk of injury to humans or the environment, but subsequent analysis by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals – required under TSCA – revealed various data-related concerns.

According to the revised draft risk evaluation, published in the Oct. 30 Federal Register, several occupational use scenarios pose unreasonable risk, including:

• Domestic manufacture and import
• Paint and coating processing
• Plastic and rubber product processing
• Recycling
• Industrial and commercial use of plastic and rubber products in automobile plastics

Comments initially were due Nov. 30. The extension is intended to “provide additional time for the public to review and comment on” the revision, according to a notice published in the Nov. 23 Federal Register.