82 FR 10732 - Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation of Certain Uses Under Toxic Substances Control Act; Extension of Comment Periods

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 30 (February 15, 2017)

EPA issued two proposed rules under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the manufacture (including importers), processing, and distribution in commerce of trichloroethylene (TCE) for use in aerosol degreasing, for use in spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor degreasing; to prohibit commercial use of TCE for aerosol degreasing, for spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor degreasing; to require manufacturers (including importers), processors, and distributors, except for retailers of TCE for any use, to provide downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain; and to require limited recordkeeping. This document extends the comment periods for both proposed rules by an additional 30 calendar days each. A commenter requested additional time to submit written comments for the proposed rules. EPA is therefore extending the comment period in order to give all interested persons the opportunity to comment fully.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 15, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 10732]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02965]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 751

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0163; EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0387; FRL-9959-03]
RIN 2070-AK03; 2070-AK11


Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation of Certain Uses Under Toxic 
Substances Control Act; Extension of Comment Periods

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment periods.

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SUMMARY: EPA issued two proposed rules under section 6 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the manufacture (including 
importers), processing, and distribution in commerce of 
trichloroethylene (TCE) for use in aerosol degreasing, for use in spot 
cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor degreasing; 
to prohibit commercial use of TCE for aerosol degreasing, for spot 
cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor degreasing; 
to require manufacturers (including importers), processors, and 
distributors, except for retailers of TCE for any use, to provide 
downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply 
chain; and to require limited recordkeeping. This document extends the 
comment periods for both proposed rules by an additional 30 calendar 
days each. A commenter requested additional time to submit written 
comments for the proposed rules. EPA is therefore extending the comment 
period in order to give all interested persons the opportunity to 
comment fully.

DATES: The comment period of the proposed rule published in the Federal 
Register of December 16, 2016 (81 FR 91592) is extended to March 16, 
2017, and the comment date of the proposed rule published in the 
Federal Register of January 19, 2017 (82 FR 7432) is delayed to April 
19, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, using the applicable docket ID number 
identified for that proposed rule, go at http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, 
comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish any comment 
received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a 
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment 
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will 
generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of 
the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing 
system). For additional submission methods (e.g., mail or hand 
delivery), the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or 
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective 
comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
    Docket. The docket for each proposed rule contains supporting 
information used in developing the proposed rule, comments on the 
proposed rule, and additional supporting information. In addition to 
being available online at http://www.regulations.gov, the docket is 
available for inspection and copying between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center Reading Room, WJC 
West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20004. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: 
Toni Krasnic, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention 
and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-0984; email 
address: [email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document extends the public comment 
period established in the proposed rules issued in the Federal Register 
of December 16, 2016 (81 FR 91592) (FRL-9949-86) and January 19, 2017 
(82 FR 7432) (FRL-9950-08). In those documents, EPA proposed under TSCA 
section 6 to prohibit the manufacture (including imports), processing, 
and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in aerosol degreasing, for 
use in spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor 
degreasing; to prohibit commercial use of TCE for aerosol degreasing, 
for spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities, and for use in vapor 
degreasing; to require manufacturers (including importers), processors, 
and distributors, except for retailers of TCE for any use, to provide 
downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply 
chain; and to require limited recordkeeping. These two proposals 
together address risks for workers and consumers associated with 
exposure to TCE through inhalation that were identified in the 2014 TCE 
risk assessment and EPA intends to finalize both actions together. EPA 
is hereby extending the comment periods for both proposed rules by 30 
calendar days, i.e., for the document issued in the Federal Register of 
December 16, 2016 (identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-
0163), the comment period that was set to end on February 14, 2017, is 
now scheduled to end on March 16, 2017, and for the document issued in 
the Federal Register of January 19, 2017 (identified by docket ID 
number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0387), the comment period that was set to end 
on March 20, 2017, is now scheduled to end on April 19, 2017.
    To submit comments, or access the docket, please follow the 
detailed instructions provided under ADDRESSES in the Federal Register 
documents of December 16, 2016 and January 19, 2017. If you have 
questions, consult the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 751

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Export notification, Hazardous 
substances, Import certification, Trichloroethylene, Recordkeeping.

    Dated: February 8, 2017.
Wendy Cleland Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-02965 Filed 2-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P