Hazardous Chemical Reporting: Community Right-to-Know; Revisions to Hazard Categories and Minor Corrections

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is amending its hazardous chemical reporting regulations due to the changes in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). OSHA's HCS was recently revised to conform to the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Under the revised HCS, chemical manufacturers and importers are required to evaluate their chemicals according to the new criteria adopted from GHS to ensure that they are classified and labeled appropriately. Manufacturers and importers are also required to develop standardized Safety Data Sheets (formerly known as "Material Safety Data Sheets") and distribute them to downstream users of their chemicals. These changes in HCS affect the reporting requirements under sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA). Based on the new classification criteria that OSHA adopted, EPA is revising the existing hazard categories for hazardous chemical inventory form reporting under EPCRA Section 312 and for list reporting under section 311. In this action, EPA is also making a few minor corrections in the hazardous chemical reporting regulations.