EPA Publishes Final Rule on TSCA Prioritization

In the June 20^th Federal Register, EPA published a final rule on its prioritization process for chemicals for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  EPA has had to substantially update and modify its TSCA risk evaluation process because of the 2016 Frank L. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act (P.L. 114-182).  This TSCA process is slightly related to SDWA implementation, as the resultant TSCA prioritization process might provide some insight on how to improve and/or streamline the contaminant identification process used to develop the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL).
In this notice, EPA provides some details on how High-Priority and Low-Priority Substances will be designated.  EPA intends to identify the High-Priority Substances that have the greatest hazard and exposure potential first, which again, could help inform the SDWA CCL process.  EPA elected to defer a decision on the pre-prioritization process to allow for more stakeholder input in the fall.  ASDWA will keep its members informed as TSCA implementation continues, focusing on potential impacts on the SDWA regulatory development process.