White House Greenlights Rule for Reporting Chemical Data to EPA

Chemical makers will soon learn what specific information they’ll have to give the EPA later this year, now that the White House has approved the agency’s final data reporting rule. The White House Office of Management and Budget announced March 14 that it approved the regulation, which requires companies that make or import chemicals above specified thresholds—generally 25,000 pounds a year—to report production, use, and other information every four years. For a comparison, a 10-foot U-Haul filled with water would weigh roughly 25,000 pounds. The Environmental Protection Agency uses the information that companies report to decide what chemicals warrant its attention and to inform regulations. OMB’s approval marks the last step before EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signs and releases the regulation, which will say whether chemical manufacturers must submit their information electronically.