EPA requests feedback on draft risk evaluation for TCEP

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on a draft risk evaluation that states tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or TCEP, poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.

According to EPA, TCEP is used as a flame-retardant additive and, as a “whole chemical substance,” presents an unreasonable risk to workers under conditions including:

• Paint and coating manufacturing
• Processing of polymers used in aerospace equipment and products
• Commercial paint and coatings
• Laboratory chemicals
• Fabric and textile products
• Wood and resin materials used in building/construction

The “whole substance” approach requires risk evaluations to culminate in a single determination of whether the chemical presents unreasonable risk.

“Workers with the greatest potential for exposure to TCEP are those who spray TCEP-containing paints or coatings, or workers who are involved in processing a two-part resin used in paints, coatings and polyurethane resin castings for aerospace applications,” the draft risk evaluation states.

The document marks the first draft risk evaluation EPA has published for the 20 additional chemicals the agency designated as high-priority substances for risk evaluation under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. EPA began evaluating the chemicals in 2019.

Comments are due Feb. 13. EPA has scheduled a virtual public meeting on the document’s draft charge questions for 1 p.m. Eastern on March 5.