Jim Jones, US EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, delivered the keynote presentation at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC) Chemicals Management Forum held in San Antonio, Texas, on May 15, 2012

1. Jim Jones
Acting Assistant Administrator
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention
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• Part of Healthy Communities & Ecosystems area of
the 2010-15 CEC Strategic Plan
• Ministers provided direction for SMOC core work:
– Establish compatible approaches to identify & track
chemicals in commerce
– Implement risk reduction strategies
– Environmental monitoring & assessment to support risk
reduction strategies
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• Identify & track chemicals in commerce
– Support compilation of national chemical inventory in Mexico
– Compare three countries’ inventories to identify potential
substances of interest to all three
• Implement risk reduction strategies
– Analyze country regulations for specific chemicals
– Training workshops to improve risk assessment approaches
• Environmental monitoring & assessment
– Training to increase effectiveness of monitoring & assessment
– Support creation of monitoring sites in Mexico
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• A key priority of Administrator Jackson
is assuring the safety of chemicals
• Support reform the Toxic Substances Control Act
• Use existing tools to ensure a workable,
consistent, comprehensive approach for existing
chemicals
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• Multi-pronged Approach for Existing Chemicals
Program Strategy:
– Risk assessment and risk management
– Data collection and screening
– Public access to chemical
data and information
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• 2009 –2011: Developed ten chemical action plans which
outlined potential risks and associated risk management
actions or alternative assessment efforts.
• March 2012: Following stakeholder engagement on criteria,
EPA released a work plan of 83 chemicals for review and
assessment.
• EPA will identify more candidates for assessment.
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• Developing an approach to screen compounds to
determine need for:
– risk assessment
– additional data
• This year, EPA will engage stakeholders on:
– Accessing existing data sources
– Utilizing Chemical Data Reporting information
– Future screening and data collection approaches
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• EPA has greatly increased transparency
– Launched Chemical Access Data Tool
– Increased chemical information in Data.Gov and
Envirofacts
– Challenged companies and trade associations to decrease
new CBI claims and declassify old claims
– Issued new policies for review of CBI claims for
health & safety studies
– Stakeholder process on presenting data to the public
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• Green Chemistry & Green Engineering
Programs
– Recognize greener chemicals and
technologies
– Encourage design of safer chemicals from
the outset
• Design for the Environment Program
– Promote design of safer consumer,
industrial and institutional chemical-based
products
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

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• Sustained progress in ensuring chemical safety
requires active participation & collaboration from all
of us
• Understanding chemicals in commerce, monitoring
and developing risk reduction strategies important to
North American sound management of chemicals
Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention