EPA and OSHA Support Collaboration on Chemical Reviews and Advancing Worker Safety

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that advances collaboration and communication on EPA’s review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The MOU provides a framework for coordination and communication between the two agencies on exposure to new chemicals in the workplace and will help achieve the agencies’ shared goal of ensuring workers are protected from potential health and environmental risks.  While the agreement is targeted at new chemicals, the collaboration will likely be employed to address workplace exposure issues arising under the ongoing effort by EPA under TSCA to review risks associated with long used, high priority chemicals, such as the risk assessment addressing formaldehyde.  See EPA-OSHA Joint Press Release and MOU