Federal Register #EPA-HQ-OPPT-2025-0314

EPA and PHMSA Issue New Chemical and Pipeline Safety Regulatory Requirements

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) are issuing regulatory actions affecting chemical manufacturers and pipeline operators: - EPA Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) under TSCA: - Applies to a list of specific chemical substances identified by PMN numbers and chemical names (e.g., PMN P18104, PMN P18413, PMN P2188, etc.) - Requires manufacturers, importers, and processors to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing any significant new use - Significant new uses include changes in manufacturing, processing, workplace protection, hazard communication, disposal, and release to water - No specific OEMs or commercial vendors are named; rules apply broadly to the chemical industry - Affected products include various specialty chemicals, polymers, and chemical intermediates - Notable requirements: workplace protection, hazard communication, inhalation exposure restrictions, disposal controls, import restrictions, and manufacturing duration limits - PHMSA Pipeline Safety Correction: - Clarifies compliance deadlines for restoring or confirming maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) for gas transmission pipelines after class location changes - Operators have 24 months from the effective date or restoration decision to comply - Locations: - EPA headquarters and Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation - **No specific quantities or dollar values are provided; these are regulatory requirements, not product procurements.

Description

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for certain chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs) and are also subject to an EPA Order. These SNURs require persons to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing manufacture or processing of these substances for any activity designated as a significant new use. The notification initiates EPA's evaluation, and manufacturing or processing for the significant new use may not begin until EPA completes its review and makes a determination. The rule is effective July 28, 2026, with judicial review promulgated on June 12, 2026.

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