US EPA Publishes Nano Reporting Guidance

The US EPA has published updated guidance on its nanoscale materials information gathering rule, following a consultation on draft guidance issued in May.

Presented in a questions and answers format, the document addresses:

what constitutes a reportable substance;

who is required to report;

which information must be reported and when;

confidentiality; and

additional areas, like exemptions and the status of articles under the rule.

The guidance was published on 14 August, the same day that the final nano reporting rule took effect. The scheme had previously been slated to take effect on 12 May, but was delayed by more than three months following repeated requests from industry for increased guidance.

The EPA says it will add further questions and answers to the document as they are received.

The final rule, issued on 12 January after more than a decade of debate, requires one-time reporting for existing nanoscale materials. It also imposes a standing reporting requirement on manufacturers or processors of a discrete form of a reportable chemical at least 135 days in advance of beginning their activities.

Persons who manufactured or processed a reportable chemical substance during the three years prior to 14 August 2017 must report to the EPA within a year of the enactment date.