13. Environmental Protection Agency · Notable
Narrow the scope of TSCA chemical evaluations to uncovered exposure pathways
Printed page 433 13. Environmental Protection Agency
“Focus the scope of chemical evaluations on pathways of exposure that are not covered by other program offices and other environmental statutes, and eliminate scope creep to ensure that evaluations can be completed in a timely manner consistent with the statutory requirements.”
What has happened
- Attempted
EPA proposed to remove the 2024 provisions at 40 CFR 702.37 and 702.39 that require it to consider every condition of use and every exposure route and pathway "without exception", and its preamble identifies as the problem the 2024 rule's requirement to consider "all exposure pathways, including those covered by other statutes such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act" — the scope creep the Quote names. Nothing has changed: no final rule had issued by 2026-08-28 and risk evaluations continue under the 2024 rule.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- One negative search covered the OCSPP chemicals and pesticides asks on pp. 433-435.
- attempted and not partial because, unlike #1139, #1142 and #1143, no earlier directive covers this particular ask: EO 14303 says nothing about exposure pathways or about deferring to other statutes, and the 2025-03-12 deregulatory list does not name TSCA.
- Federal Register API: docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2025-0260 returns only the proposal; there is no final rule.
- Action
- restrict
- Object
- scope of TSCA chemical risk evaluations
- ID
- 1140