Chlorinated Paraffins; Request for Available Information on PMN Risk Assessments, 79886-79888 [2015-32175]

Download as PDF 79886 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564–2970; fax number: (202) 564–0050; email address: yellin.patrick@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202–566–1744. For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit: https:// www.epa.gov/dockets. Abstract: Owners and operators of affected facilities are required to comply with both reporting and record-keeping requirements for the general provisions (40 CFR part 61, subpart A), as well as for the requirements in 40 CFR part 61, subpart E. This includes submitting initial notification reports, performance tests and periodic reports and results, and maintaining records of the occurrence and duration of any startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is inoperative. These reports are used by EPA to determine compliance with the standards. Form Numbers: None. Respondents/affected entities: Mercury ore processing facilities, mercury cell chlor-alkali plants, sludge incineration plants, and sludge drying plants. Respondent’s obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR part 61, subpart E). Estimated number of respondents: 107 (total). Frequency of response: Initially, occasionally, semiannually and annually. Total estimated burden: 20,600 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b). Total estimated cost: $2,070,000 (per year). There are no annualized capital/ startup and operation & maintenance costs. Changes in the Estimates: There is a small increase in the respondent burden due to an adjustment. In this ICR, we assume all existing sources will take some time each year to re-familiarize themselves with the regulatory requirements. This new assumption VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Dec 22, 2015 Jkt 238001 results in an increase in the labor hours and cost. Courtney Kerwin, Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division. [FR Doc. 2015–32179 Filed 12–22–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 564–9232; email address: moss.kenneth@epa.gov. For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@ epa.gov. [EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0789; FRL–9940–13] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chlorinated Paraffins; Request for Available Information on PMN Risk Assessments I. General Information Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: EPA is requesting new available data on certain chlorinated paraffins in different industries and for different uses, to inform the risk assessments for chlorinated paraffins submitted as Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). The risk assessments have been placed in a public docket. Any comments on the assessments or data to inform the assessments will be placed in the docket subject to Confidential Business Information considerations. DATES: Available data and/or comments must be received on or before February 22, 2016. ADDRESSES: Submit your data and/or comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ– OPPT–2015–0789, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. • Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/ dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: Kenneth Moss, Chemical Control SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 A. Does this action apply to me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, process, or use the chemical substances contained in this rule. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially affected entities may include: • Manufacturers, processors, or users of one or more subject chemical substances (NAICS codes 325 and 324110), e.g., chemical manufacturing and petroleum refineries. B. What is the agency’s authority for taking this action? This action is issued under the authority in Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2604. C. What action is the agency taking? EPA is requesting new available data on the chlorinated paraffins, referenced in Unit II., in different industries and for different uses, to inform the risk assessments for chlorinated paraffins submitted as Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). The risk assessments have been placed in a public docket. Any comments on the assessments or data to inform the assessments will be placed in the docket subject to Confidential Business Information considerations. C. Why is EPA taking this action? As a result of its TSCA new chemicals review, EPA preliminarily determined that the above mentioned chlorinated paraffin PMN substances may present an unreasonable risk to the environment for two independent reasons: (1) The PMN substances are expected to be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals; and (2) releases of the PMN substances may exceed concentrations of concern (COCs) to aquatic and sediment-dwelling E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM 23DEN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Notices organisms, even without taking into consideration the expected persistence and bioaccumulative properties of the PMN substances. EPA’s assessments of the PMN substances have been placed in the docket. 1. The PMN substances are expected to be PBT chemicals based on the following lines of evidence: (a) The available data on mediumchain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs), sediment core studies, environmental fate studies, and associated calculations, indicate transformation half-lives of months to years, depending on the environmental media. Even though there are limited data on the long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs), biodegradation data indicate increasing stability with increasing chain length. LCCPs are also expected to have transformation half-lives comparable to, or greater than, MCCPs. Therefore, the PMN substances are expected to be very persistent. (b) The available data on MCCPs and LCCPs indicate that these substances have bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) that exceed 1,000 or 5,000 liters per kilogram wet weight of tissue (L/kg ww). Therefore, the PMN substances are expected to be very bioaccumulative. (c) The available data on MCCPs and LCCPs indicate acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms with effect levels below 10 milligrams per liter (mg/ L) or 0.1 mg/L, depending on the species and MCCP or LCCP congener evaluated. Therefore, the PMN substances are expected to be toxic to aquatic organisms. (d) EPA is concerned about PBT chemicals because even small releases may persist in environmental media, build up in the environment and concentrate/accumulate in organisms over time. These properties increase the potential for continual exposure, and thus risk. (e) EPA expects there to be releases of the PMN substances to the environment resulting from distribution in commerce and during processing and all of the substances’ intended uses. 2. Releases of the PMN substances may exceed concentrations of concern to aquatic and sediment-dwelling organisms, even without taking into consideration the expected persistence and bioaccumulation of the PMN substances, based on the following evidence: (a) Using estimated environmental concentrations, the PMN substances may present unreasonable acute and chronic risks to aquatic organisms because releases result in exceedances of COCs for aquatic organisms. Also, VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Dec 22, 2015 Jkt 238001 using the available measured concentrations of MCCPs in the environment as supporting information, the PMN substances are expected to partition to sediment and may partition to soil through land application of biosolids; and may be released to the environment resulting in levels at or above concentrations that are likely to exceed the COC. These concentrations may present acute and chronic risks to aquatic organisms. (b) EPA expects releases of the PMN substances to water during processing and all of the substances’ intended uses to result in surface water concentrations that may present an unreasonable risk of adverse effects to aquatic and sedimentdwelling organisms. As described in EPA’s risk assessment documents entitled ‘‘Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P–12–0282, P–12–0283) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P–12– 0284)’’, ‘‘Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P–12–0453) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P–12–0433)’’, and ’’ Standard Review Risk Assessment: Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMNs P– 14–0683/P–14–0684)’’, EPA reviewed a variety of sources to inform its assessment on the PMN substances, including: Information provided in the PMNs, information on the environmental fate of MCCPs and LCCPs in different environmental compartments, the properties that control transport, and assessments performed by Canada and the European Union. Given EPA’s preliminary risk determinations, under section 5(e) of TSCA, EPA has informed the PMN submitters that it does not believe that manufacture of these PMN substances should commence (Qualice, LLC,) or continue (Dover Chemical and INOVYN Americas, Inc.) absent the development of sufficient information to permit a reasoned evaluation of the environmental effects of the substances, as described in a testing strategy shared with the PMN submitters. This testing strategy and the risk assessments for these three groups of PMNs are available in the public docket (EPA–HQ–OPPT– 2015–0789). While EPA used information provided by the submitters of the PMNs, EPA realizes that its assessment of some uses may be improved by more specific information on the chlorinated paraffins identified above. With this notice, EPA is requesting new, available information on chlorinated paraffins in different industries and for different uses to PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 79887 reduce the uncertainties in the risk assessments for the three groups of PMNs, submitted under TSCA by three companies. Such information may include whether there are uses for the PMN chlorinated paraffin substances that do not present the potential for direct or indirect release to water. In developing the risk assessments for these PMN substances, EPA used the information provided by the submitters of the PMNs and standard PMN models and scenarios. Processors and users of the PMN substances may have specific available data on such issues as treatment methods, environmental releases and other waste management practices, particularly for non-water based applications. EPA has received some information from the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association and would like to augment this information with specific data from other user sectors, particularly those sectors that formulate and use chlorinated paraffins as plasticizers and flame retardants in adhesives, sealants and coatings. II. What chemicals are subjects of this notice? This notice covers seven mediumand long-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs and LCCPs). EPA is reviewing five PMNs as a result of settlements resolving violations of the TSCA premanufacture notice obligations for production and import of various chlorinated paraffins. As part of consent decrees between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and EPA and Dover Chemical (February 7, 2012) and separately between DOJ and EPA and INEOS Chlor Americas (now INOVYN Americas, Inc) (August 21, 2012) these companies were required to submit premanufacture notices under TSCA section 5 for all chlorinated paraffins domestically produced or imported. Also as part of the settlement, the companies were required to cease domestic manufacture and import of the closely-related short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which have persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) characteristics. On March 30, 2012, EPA received three PMNs: P–12–282 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes C14–16, chloro (no Chemical Abstract Service Registry Number (CASRN) assigned yet), P–12–283 for Tetradecane, chloro derivs. (no CASRN assigned yet), and Octadecane, chloro derivs. (no CASRN assigned yet). On October 28, 2015, the submitter, Dover Chemical Corporation, removed all prior assertions of CBI claims covering any or E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM 23DEN1 79888 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Notices all of the information associated with these PMNs. On June 27, 2012, EPA received PMN P–12–0433 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes, C18– 20, chloro (CASRN 106232–85–3). On July 9, 2012, EPA received PMN P–12– 0453 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes, C14–17, chloro (CASRN 85535–85–9). On August 13, 2012, EPA received PMN P–12–0453 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes, C22–30, chloro (CASRN 288260–42–4). The submitter, INEOS Chlor Americas (now INOVYN Americas Inc.), claimed only production volume as CBI in these three PMN submissions. On July 10, 2014, EPA received PMN P–14–0683 for the new chemical substance identified as Tetradecane, chloro derivs. (CASRN 198840–65–2) and P–14–0684 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes, C14– C16, chloro (CASRN 1372804–76–6). The submitter, Qualice, LLC, made no CBI claims in their PMN submissions. As with all PMN submissions, EPA has followed the processes, procedures and statutory provisions of TSCA section 5 for the chlorinated paraffin PMNs, including EPA’s Policy Statement on PBT New Chemical Substances in the Federal Register of November 4, 1999 (64 FR 60194) (FRL– 6097–7). Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. Dated: December 15, 2015. Maria J. Doa, Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. [FR Doc. 2015–32175 Filed 12–22–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2015–0386; FRL–9940–09] Pesticide Registration Review; Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments for Certain Organophosphates; Extension of Comment Period Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). AGENCY: ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period. EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of September 25, 2015, opening a comment period on draft human health and ecological risk assessments for certain organophosphate pesticides listed in Table 1, along with additional chemicals. Following this, EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of November 20, 2015, extending the comment period for an additional 45 days, until January 8, 2016. This document extends the close of the comment period for an additional 45 days for only the chemicals listed in Table 1, from January 8, 2016 to February 23, 2016. This comment period is being extended in response to comments received by the Agency. The Agency is also taking comments on the document entitled, ‘‘Literature Review on Neurodevelopment Effects & FQPA Safety Factor Determination for the Organophosphate Pesticides’’ in conjunction with this comment period and not through a separate comment period. SUMMARY: Comments, identified by docket identification (ID) numbers identified in Table 1 must be received on or before February 23, 2016. DATES: Follow the detailed instructions provided under ADDRESSES in the Federal Register document of September 25, 2015 (80 FR 57812) (FRL–9933–68). ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons listed with individual chemicals in Table 1. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document extends the public comment period for certain chemicals established in the Federal Register document of September 25, 2015 (80 FR 57812) (FRL–9933–68). In that document, a public comment period opened on EPA’s draft human health and ecological risk assessments for the registration review of certain members of a group of pesticides known collectively as organophosphates (found in Table 1) and the document entitled, ‘‘Literature Review on Neurodevelopment effects; FQPA Safety Factor Determination for the Organophosphate Pesticides,’’ and a number of other chemicals. Following this, EPA issued a Notice in the Federal Register of November 20, 2015 (80 FR 72717) (FRL–9936–94), extending the comment period for an additional 45 days, until January 8, 2016. EPA is hereby further extending the comment period for only the chemicals, and their associated support documents, found in Table 1, which was set to end on January 8, 2016, to February 23, 2016. TABLE 1—CHEMICALS WITH EXTENDED COMMENT PERIODS Docket ID No. Chemical review manager and contact information Chlorpyrifos-methyl 8011 ................................... EPA–HQ–OPP–2010–0119 ............................. Dicrotophos Case 0145 ..................................... EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0440 ............................. Dimethoate 0088 ............................................... EPA–HQ–OPP–2009–0059 ............................. Ethoprop 0106 ................................................... EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0560 ............................. Profenofos 2540 ................................................ EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0345 ............................. Terbufos 0109 ................................................... EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0119 ............................. Tribufos 2145 ..................................................... tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Registration review case name and No. EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0883 ............................. Dana L. Friedman, friedman.dana@epa.gov, (703) 347–8827. Khue Nguyen, Nguyen.khue@epa.gov, (703) 347–0248. Kelly Ballard, ballard.kelly@epa.gov, (703) 305–8126. Tracy Perry, perry.tracy@epa.gov, (703) 308– 0128. Christina Scheltema, scheltema.christina@ epa.gov, (703) 308–2201. Matthew Manupella, manupella.matthew@ epa.gov, (703) 347–0411. Marianne Mannix, mannix.marianne@epa.gov, (703) 347–0275. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Dec 22, 2015 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM 23DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79886-79888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32175]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0789; FRL-9940-13]


Chlorinated Paraffins; Request for Available Information on PMN 
Risk Assessments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is requesting new available data on certain chlorinated 
paraffins in different industries and for different uses, to inform the 
risk assessments for chlorinated paraffins submitted as Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA) Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). The risk 
assessments have been placed in a public docket. Any comments on the 
assessments or data to inform the assessments will be placed in the 
docket subject to Confidential Business Information considerations.

DATES: Available data and/or comments must be received on or before 
February 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your data and/or comments, identified by docket 
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0789, by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional 
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more 
information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For technical information contact: Kenneth Moss, Chemical Control 
Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-9232; email 
address: moss.kenneth@epa.gov.
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, 
process, or use the chemical substances contained in this rule. The 
following list of North American Industrial Classification System 
(NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. 
Potentially affected entities may include:
     Manufacturers, processors, or users of one or more subject 
chemical substances (NAICS codes 325 and 324110), e.g., chemical 
manufacturing and petroleum refineries.

B. What is the agency's authority for taking this action?

    This action is issued under the authority in Section 5 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2604.

C. What action is the agency taking?

    EPA is requesting new available data on the chlorinated paraffins, 
referenced in Unit II., in different industries and for different uses, 
to inform the risk assessments for chlorinated paraffins submitted as 
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Premanufacture Notices (PMNs). The 
risk assessments have been placed in a public docket. Any comments on 
the assessments or data to inform the assessments will be placed in the 
docket subject to Confidential Business Information considerations.

C. Why is EPA taking this action?

    As a result of its TSCA new chemicals review, EPA preliminarily 
determined that the above mentioned chlorinated paraffin PMN substances 
may present an unreasonable risk to the environment for two independent 
reasons: (1) The PMN substances are expected to be persistent, 
bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals; and (2) releases of the PMN 
substances may exceed concentrations of concern (COCs) to aquatic and 
sediment-dwelling

[[Page 79887]]

organisms, even without taking into consideration the expected 
persistence and bioaccumulative properties of the PMN substances. EPA's 
assessments of the PMN substances have been placed in the docket.
    1. The PMN substances are expected to be PBT chemicals based on the 
following lines of evidence:
    (a) The available data on medium-chain chlorinated paraffins 
(MCCPs), sediment core studies, environmental fate studies, and 
associated calculations, indicate transformation half-lives of months 
to years, depending on the environmental media. Even though there are 
limited data on the long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCPs), 
biodegradation data indicate increasing stability with increasing chain 
length. LCCPs are also expected to have transformation half-lives 
comparable to, or greater than, MCCPs. Therefore, the PMN substances 
are expected to be very persistent.
    (b) The available data on MCCPs and LCCPs indicate that these 
substances have bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and bioaccumulation 
factors (BAFs) that exceed 1,000 or 5,000 liters per kilogram wet 
weight of tissue (L/kg ww). Therefore, the PMN substances are expected 
to be very bioaccumulative.
    (c) The available data on MCCPs and LCCPs indicate acute and 
chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms with effect levels below 10 
milligrams per liter (mg/L) or 0.1 mg/L, depending on the species and 
MCCP or LCCP congener evaluated. Therefore, the PMN substances are 
expected to be toxic to aquatic organisms.
    (d) EPA is concerned about PBT chemicals because even small 
releases may persist in environmental media, build up in the 
environment and concentrate/accumulate in organisms over time. These 
properties increase the potential for continual exposure, and thus 
risk.
    (e) EPA expects there to be releases of the PMN substances to the 
environment resulting from distribution in commerce and during 
processing and all of the substances' intended uses.
    2. Releases of the PMN substances may exceed concentrations of 
concern to aquatic and sediment-dwelling organisms, even without taking 
into consideration the expected persistence and bioaccumulation of the 
PMN substances, based on the following evidence:
    (a) Using estimated environmental concentrations, the PMN 
substances may present unreasonable acute and chronic risks to aquatic 
organisms because releases result in exceedances of COCs for aquatic 
organisms. Also, using the available measured concentrations of MCCPs 
in the environment as supporting information, the PMN substances are 
expected to partition to sediment and may partition to soil through 
land application of biosolids; and may be released to the environment 
resulting in levels at or above concentrations that are likely to 
exceed the COC. These concentrations may present acute and chronic 
risks to aquatic organisms.
    (b) EPA expects releases of the PMN substances to water during 
processing and all of the substances' intended uses to result in 
surface water concentrations that may present an unreasonable risk of 
adverse effects to aquatic and sediment-dwelling organisms. As 
described in EPA's risk assessment documents entitled ``Standard Review 
Risk Assessment on Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P-12-0282, 
P-12-0283) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P-12-0284)'', 
``Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins 
(PMN P-12-0453) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (PMN P-12-0433)'', 
and '' Standard Review Risk Assessment: Medium Chain Chlorinated 
Paraffins (PMNs P-14-0683/P-14-0684)'', EPA reviewed a variety of 
sources to inform its assessment on the PMN substances, including: 
Information provided in the PMNs, information on the environmental fate 
of MCCPs and LCCPs in different environmental compartments, the 
properties that control transport, and assessments performed by Canada 
and the European Union.
    Given EPA's preliminary risk determinations, under section 5(e) of 
TSCA, EPA has informed the PMN submitters that it does not believe that 
manufacture of these PMN substances should commence (Qualice, LLC,) or 
continue (Dover Chemical and INOVYN Americas, Inc.) absent the 
development of sufficient information to permit a reasoned evaluation 
of the environmental effects of the substances, as described in a 
testing strategy shared with the PMN submitters. This testing strategy 
and the risk assessments for these three groups of PMNs are available 
in the public docket (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0789).
    While EPA used information provided by the submitters of the PMNs, 
EPA realizes that its assessment of some uses may be improved by more 
specific information on the chlorinated paraffins identified above. 
With this notice, EPA is requesting new, available information on 
chlorinated paraffins in different industries and for different uses to 
reduce the uncertainties in the risk assessments for the three groups 
of PMNs, submitted under TSCA by three companies. Such information may 
include whether there are uses for the PMN chlorinated paraffin 
substances that do not present the potential for direct or indirect 
release to water. In developing the risk assessments for these PMN 
substances, EPA used the information provided by the submitters of the 
PMNs and standard PMN models and scenarios. Processors and users of the 
PMN substances may have specific available data on such issues as 
treatment methods, environmental releases and other waste management 
practices, particularly for non-water based applications. EPA has 
received some information from the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers 
Association and would like to augment this information with specific 
data from other user sectors, particularly those sectors that formulate 
and use chlorinated paraffins as plasticizers and flame retardants in 
adhesives, sealants and coatings.

II. What chemicals are subjects of this notice?

    This notice covers seven medium- and long-chain chlorinated 
paraffins (MCCPs and LCCPs). EPA is reviewing five PMNs as a result of 
settlements resolving violations of the TSCA premanufacture notice 
obligations for production and import of various chlorinated paraffins. 
As part of consent decrees between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 
EPA and Dover Chemical (February 7, 2012) and separately between DOJ 
and EPA and INEOS Chlor Americas (now INOVYN Americas, Inc) (August 21, 
2012) these companies were required to submit premanufacture notices 
under TSCA section 5 for all chlorinated paraffins domestically 
produced or imported. Also as part of the settlement, the companies 
were required to cease domestic manufacture and import of the closely-
related short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which have persistent, 
bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) characteristics.
    On March 30, 2012, EPA received three PMNs: P-12-282 for the new 
chemical substance identified as Alkanes C14-16, chloro (no Chemical 
Abstract Service Registry Number (CASRN) assigned yet), P-12-283 for 
Tetradecane, chloro derivs. (no CASRN assigned yet), and Octadecane, 
chloro derivs. (no CASRN assigned yet). On October 28, 2015, the 
submitter, Dover Chemical Corporation, removed all prior assertions of 
CBI claims covering any or

[[Page 79888]]

all of the information associated with these PMNs.
    On June 27, 2012, EPA received PMN P-12-0433 for the new chemical 
substance identified as Alkanes, C18-20, chloro (CASRN 106232-85-3). On 
July 9, 2012, EPA received PMN P-12-0453 for the new chemical substance 
identified as Alkanes, C14-17, chloro (CASRN 85535-85-9). On August 13, 
2012, EPA received PMN P-12-0453 for the new chemical substance 
identified as Alkanes, C22-30, chloro (CASRN 288260-42-4). The 
submitter, INEOS Chlor Americas (now INOVYN Americas Inc.), claimed 
only production volume as CBI in these three PMN submissions.
    On July 10, 2014, EPA received PMN P-14-0683 for the new chemical 
substance identified as Tetradecane, chloro derivs. (CASRN 198840-65-2) 
and P-14-0684 for the new chemical substance identified as Alkanes, 
C14-C16, chloro (CASRN 1372804-76-6). The submitter, Qualice, LLC, made 
no CBI claims in their PMN submissions.
    As with all PMN submissions, EPA has followed the processes, 
procedures and statutory provisions of TSCA section 5 for the 
chlorinated paraffin PMNs, including EPA's Policy Statement on PBT New 
Chemical Substances in the Federal Register of November 4, 1999 (64 FR 
60194) (FRL-6097-7).

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.

    Dated: December 15, 2015.
Maria J. Doa,
Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2015-32175 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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