NIOSH Comments to EPA on the Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Statement of Policy on Section 4(a)(1)(B) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), September 13, 1991.

摘要

The testimony concerns the proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine substantial and significant human exposure to manufactured chemicals. In the proposal, the EPA plans to define substantial exposure as over 1000 workers exposed. NIOSH indicates that of the 3996 chemicals currently listed in the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances for which NIOSH National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES) data are available, only 12% are currently regulated by OSHA. Approximately 75% of these chemicals meet the 1000 or more workers exposed criterion. Of the remaining 25% for which fewer than 1000 workers are exposed, the health effects of 8% are sufficient to be regulated by OSHA. NIOSH urges the EPA to consider its alternative proposal that would result in testing for compounds for which fewer than 1000 workers are exposed.