FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tiffany Harrington, (703) 741-5833
Tiffany_Harrington@americanchemistry.com
Brian Sansoni, (202) 662-2517
bsansoni@cleaning101.com
Daniel Cronin, (202) 721-4137
cronind@socma.com
CHEMICAL AND CONSUMER PRODUCT MAKERS
LAUNCH EXTENDED PROGRAM ON HIGH PRODUCTION
VOLUME CHEMICALS
ARLINGTON, VA (November 1, 2005) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC), The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), and Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA), today announced the launching of their joint initiative to extend industry’s work on high production volume (HPV) chemicals – those produced in the United States or imported in quantities greater than 1 million pounds annually. The Extended HPV Program, or EHPV Program, seeks to publish health and environmental information on 574 additional chemicals and increase the breadth of safety information made publicly available for HPV substances. All three organizations are reaching out to their member companies and beyond their memberships to seek sponsors for chemicals in the EHPV program.
Through the original U.S. HPV Challenge Program, begun in 1998, more than 400 manufacturing companies and consortia volunteered to collect safety information on 2,222 HPV chemicals, representing more than 90 percent of U.S. chemical production by volume. Of these, 1,371 were sponsored through EPA’s HPV Challenge and another 851 chemicals were sponsored through its international counterpart, the International Council of Chemical Associations’ (ICCA) HPV Initiative.
The EHPV Program broadens current work on HPV chemicals in two ways. First, companies are being asked to provide health and environmental information for 574 "new" HPV chemicals. These are substances that did not qualify as HPV chemicals at the start of the original program, but which now meet the volume threshold according to EPA’s 2002 Inventory.
Second, the EHPV Program increases the scope of information being collected for HPV chemicals. In addition to gathering health and environmental information, companies will be asked to provide information on use and exposure for both the "Extended" HPV as well as the original "Challenge Program" substances. In this way, the EHPV Program will provide EPA and the public with an extensive source of important information on HPV chemicals.
"The HPV Challenge has made more information on more chemicals publicly available in less time than any government-mandated program," said ACC President and CEO Jack Gerard. "Our industry elected to expand our work on HPV chemicals because we believe it is important for government, industry and consumers to make informed choices about products we make and use everyday."
"SOCMA supports extending the HPV program because we see it as an opportunity to continue to communicate chemical information to the public. Programs like this are an important step in building public confidence in the chemical industry and strengthening cooperation between our member companies and government agencies," said SOCMA President Joseph Acker.
Ernie Rosenberg, President and CEO of the Soap and Detergent Association agreed and added, "The members of SDA enjoy a high degree of public confidence in their products. Sharing the responsibility for safety assessments with chemical producers will help us build on that confidence."
By launching the EHPV Program, ACC, SDA, and SOCMA are asking their member companies and other producers to consider volunteering to work on specific chemicals, and to make their decisions public by December 31, 2005. Work on the EHPV Program will begin during one of four self-selected "start years" (from 2006 to 2009), with the full program to be complete and all information publicly available by 2010. All health and safety information collected through the HPV Challenge and EHPV Program will be posted on EPA’s website, or, in the case of the ICCA HPV Initiative, the United Nations Environment Programme web-site.
The EHPV Program is designed to minimize the use of laboratory animals. Program sponsors are strongly encouraged to make maximum use of chemical categories, to conduct exhaustive data searches, and to utilize validated non-animal methods where accepted and appropriate. Moreover, the use and exposure component will allow sponsors to demonstrate how their data decisions incorporate risk-based approaches.
HPV Challenge Program Background
In 1998, the chemical industry – in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Defense and others – developed the HPV Challenge Program as a voluntary initiative to compile and make publicly available, by 2005, complete health and environmental screening information on HPV chemicals.
The health and environmental information required for the HPV Challenge is identical to the internationally-agreed SIDS standards, which are composed of a series of data sets, tests, testing protocols and information formats for conducting assessments of HPV chemicals.
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www.americanchemistry.com
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $516 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation’s largest exporters, accounting for ten cents out of every dollar in U.S. exports. Chemistry companies invest more in research and development than any other business sector. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation’s critical infrastructure.
www.cleaning101.com
The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products and Oleochemical Industries SM , representing over 100 manufacturers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products; their ingredients and finished packaging; and oleochemical producers. SDA members produce more than 90 percent of the cleaning products marketed in the U.S.
www.socma.org
The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) is the leading trade association, serving the specialty-batch and custom chemical industry since 1921. SOCMA’s 300 members employ more than 100,000 workers across the country and produce 50,000 products valued at $60 billion annually.
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