The US Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule under existing federal statutory law that establishes new reporting requirements for petroleum and petrochemical processors that use or plan to use five chemical substances identified generically as “complex strontium aluminate, rare earth doped” (CSA-RED).
The “significant new use” (SNU) rule, which falls under the Toxic Substances Control Act, will require chemical manufacturing and petroleum refineries that intend to import, manufacture, or process any of these substances for an activity that is designated as a SNU to notify EPA at least 90 days before beginning such activity, according to a notice from EPA in the Feb. 4 Federal Register.
The five chemical substances identified generically as CSA-RED, which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN), include P-12-22, P-12-23, P-12-24, P-12-25, and P-12-26, all of which EPA predicts, at certain exposure levels, are agents of potential lung overload and toxicity to workers inhaling the substances.
According to the PMN, the five substances are intended to be used as dye in the manufacturing of imaging and media products.
The SNU rule also will require any chemical manufacturer or refiner who began commercial manufacturing, importing, or processing the designated CSA-RED substances after June 22, 2012, to stop those activities before the final rule takes effect on Apr. 7.
