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The Phylmar Group. Inc. Newsletter
July 2016, Issue #78
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Hello,
On 22 June 2016, President Obama signed into law amendments to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the primary chemicals management law in the U.S.
Also known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the law received bipartisan support in both houses of the legislature and is the first major update to an environmental statute in 20 years. The TSCA was first enacted in 1976, but there has been a consensus among stakeholders for some time now, including from industry, that the TSCA was in need of reform.
Major changes include a mandatory requirement for EPA to evaluate existing chemicals with clear and enforceable deadlines; a new risk-based safety standard; increased public transparency for chemical information; and a consistent source of funding for EPA to carry out the responsibilities under the new law. An overview of key provisions from the new TSCA is provided.
We then turn towards sustainability and some of the
recent developments
coming out of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) conference in Amsterdam, including a renewed collaboration with the U.N. Compact to reach sustainable development goals. GRI has also launched a new technology initiative, the Digital Reporting Alliance, which will create technical infrastructure for digital reporting and a platform for filing digital reports.
The full articles in each section are available on our
Phylmar Blog. Don't forget about our
Phylmar Academy- a great resource to brush up on EHS training at the best educational institutions in the world.
Enjoy,
Mark Katchen, CIH
Managing Principal
The Phylmar Group, Inc.
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Key Provisions of the Amended Toxic Substance Control Act
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Source: epa.gov
The full article on the Phylmar Blog provides an overview of the key provisions in the amended TSCA, including: existing chemicals; new chemicals; confidential business information; source of sustained funding; federal-state partnership; and mercury export and disposal.
Here's a snapshot of a few of the bullet points in "Existing Chemicals":
- Action to address unreasonable risks
- When unreasonable risks are identified, EPA must take final risk management action within two years, or four years if extension needed.
- Costs and availability of alternatives considered when determining appropriate action to address risks.
- Action, including bans and phaseouts, must begin as quickly as possible but no later than five years after the final regulation.
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Global Reporting Initiative and UN Global Compact to Renew Sustainability Reporting Push
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Source: Summary of article by Jocelyn Timperley, Business Green, May 24, 2016
The 3-year agreement under the Memorandum of Understanding announced at the recent
GRI Global Conference
in Amsterdam will see an increase in efforts to push corporate contributions towards meeting the SDGs. The organizations say accountability and transparency are key for advancing responsible business practices and the initiative will push for meaningful disclosure of sustainability information to become standard practice across businesses.
Both organizations plan to provide their respective business networks with guidance, such as the
SDG Compass
, to help them advance, report, and communicate private sector contributions to the SDGs. Michael Meehan, chief executive of GRI, commented on the joint effort, stating, "Through our partnership with the UN Global Compact we can continue to scale up our collective efforts and have a greater impact on sustainable development issues, which include reaching and mobilizing SMEs around the world."
The news follows the release of GRI's new
Digital Reporting Alliance
, which aims to address challenges around the lack of structured data and the lack of demand for digital reporting.
The SDGs were created in September 2015 to replace the UN's Millennium Development Goals. They include 17 new goals for 2030, including clean water and sanitation, clean energy, responsible consumption and production, biodiversity, and climate action. The UN is calling on businesses to create strategies that support achieving the goals.
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Upcoming Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability Events
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Did You Know?
Did you know as a PRR, AFIRM or BioPharma EHS Forum member that your benefits included access to Phylmar's global consulting network that provides concierge level service? The Phylmar Academy provides continuing EHS education and employee training. You can save up to 20% on these services through your membership. Contact Mark Katchen
(
[email protected]
) for more information.
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About The Phylmar Group, Inc.
The Phylmar Group® is an organization that partners with best-in-class companies on their most challenging environmental, health and safety, and social responsibility issues by anticipating clients' needs from strategy to implementation. Our expert client advisors deliver innovative, responsible, efficient solutions addressing client needs and creating added value. For more information, visit
www.phylmar.com or call
+1 310.474.3937.
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