EPA has announced the next five chemicals it will launch a lengthy risk review process for, a move that that could lead to restrictions or bans.
The Biden administration’s lineup signals a desire to crack down on chemicals used to make plastic, but the final call on how to handle the matter will be left to the incoming Trump administration.
EPA’s prioritization list, announced Wednesday, includes styrene, benzene, ethylbenzene, naphthalene and 4-tert-octylphenol — each of which is used primarily to make plastics.
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The agency also designated five other chemicals used to make plastics, including vinyl chloride, as “high priority” substances, clearing a key regulatory hurdle in the Toxic Substances Control Act risk assessments process.
