The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed a new reporting and recordkeeping rule for nanoscale materials. Jay West, manager of ACC’s Nanotechnology Panel, said the group reviewed the proposed rule and provided comments to EPA in an effort to help create a workable, balanced, risk-based approach to collecting information on nanoscale materials.
The Nanotechnology Panel’s main objective is to promote the safe and responsible development of nanotechnology, and its comments to EPA represent the Panel’s commitment to the field.
In the comments, the Nanotechnology Panel states that EPA should better describe and clarify this rule. Members of the Panel note that the proposed rule could create a confusing, subjective, arbitrary, and uneven regulatory playing field in the nanotechnology community. West notes the rule could also result in duplicative, unnecessary reporting of information.
The proposed rule differs in many important ways from the approach being taken by Environment Canada and Health Canada, and the Panel suggests that EPA use the work accomplished under the Nanotechnology Plan of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council as a model of efficiency and cooperative learning.
The American Chemistry Council’s Nanotechnology Panel promotes the responsible development of nanotechnology by advancing knowledge of good product stewardship practices among nanomaterial producers and users. The Panel regularly supports and participates in partnerships with universities, regulatory agencies and other organizations to identify and communicate best practices concerning the responsible development and use of nanotechnology.
To learn more about ACC’s Nanotechnology Panel and its mission visit its website at https://www.americanplasticscouncil.org or contact Jay West at [email protected].
