IFCS Indicators of Progress
Priorities for Action beyond 2000
and
Forum Recommendations
QUESTIONNAIRE
Please provide the information described on the following pages concerning your country,
giving the current status and, to the extent possible, that foreseen at the end of 2006
Please complete:
COUNTRY: USA
1.
NATIONAL CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITIES FOR CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT
Priorities for Action E1 and E21
1a)
Has a comprehensive National Chemicals Management Profile, or other
equivalent strategic national plan, been developed
through a multi-stakeholder process2?
National Profile
Yes
X
Other equivalent strategic national plan
No
‫ڤ‬
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes" to either of the above, please indicate the original publication date and
the date(s) of any revisions.
January 1997
If "Yes" to either of the above, please list all ministries, agencies and
organizations that participated:
US Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, Department of Labor, Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State,
Department of Transportation, and others. There was input from NGOs,
both industrial and environmental, as well.
If "No", is your country in the process of developing or planning on developing a
Comprehensive National Chemicals Management Profile?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
Expected completion date ___________
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", have equivalent measures such as a government investigation on
chemical safety followed by legislative measures been undertaken?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please describe:
Please see http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/profile/usprof.pdf
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
1
The Priorities for Action Beyond 2000 may be viewed on the IFCS website at www.ifcs.ch.
A multi-stakeholder process is a process involving all concerned national ministries and other government
institutions, as well as other interested national parties.
2
1
1b)
Has your country developed any of the following on the sound management of
chemicals?
All four of the items below exist, but it isn’t possible to identify a specific
exact date as to when they were developed and completed, since they arose
incrementally and are subject to continuing updating and revision as
required.
If yes, please
provide year
completed.
If development is in progress,
please provide the expected
completion year?
No
National Policies
National Priorities
National Strategies
National Action Plans
1c)
Has your country established an inter-ministerial/intersectoral coordinating
mechanism (e.g. committee or body) to facilitate the comprehensive treatment of
chemical safety issues?
There is no formal mechanism established as such to provide comprehensive
overall direction specifically on the sound management of chemicals. To the
extent necessary, such direction is provided by the President’s Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) [for further information, see
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/ ]. In addition, interagency coordinating
groups are established to deal with specific issues areas, e.g., GHS, etc.
Yes
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes":
No
‫ڤ‬
What is the name of the "mechanism"?
The President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
When was it established?
Congress established CEQ within the Executive Office of the President as
part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Additional
responsibilities were provided by the Environmental Quality Improvement
Act of 1970.
2.
CLASSIFICATION AND LABELLING OF CHEMICALS
Priority for Action B1
2a)
Has your country initiated work to adopt and implement the Globally Harmonized
System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)?
2
Yes X
No
‫ڤ‬
U.S. agencies continue to be active in GHS activities at the national and
international levels. Key agencies have undertaken comprehensive reviews
(situation analyses) to identify the changes in current U.S. policies that would
be necessary to implement the GHS. EPA has outlined initial plans for
pesticide labels and requested comment. OSHA and EPA have made
expanded information on how GHS implementation would affect their
programs available on their websites. DOT is planning to complete
regulatory changes in the next two years, and CPSC has initiated
comparative analysis work. U.S. agencies are also engaged in extensive and
ongoing outreach and awareness-raising activities with stakeholders.
If "Yes", what is the expected date (year) GHS will be fully operational?
_________________________________________________________
2b)
Has your country ratified and implemented ILO Convention 170 on Safety in the
Use of Chemicals at Work3, or instituted comparable measures?
Yes
No
X
While the U.S. has not adopted the ILO Convention, our practices are
consistent, i.e., we have instituted comparable measures.
3.
NATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS
Priority for Action C1
3a)
What arrangements are operational in your country for the exchange of
information on hazardous chemicals? Please describe.
The U.S. is committed to making scientific, technical and regulatory
information widely available, and has therefore invested in constructing its
website to enable public access to as much information as possible As a
matter of law, there are several statutes which require public access to
information, in particular the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Two
other statutes, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), address chemical
information specifically, and have provisions related to export notification
for unregistered pesticides and certain industrial chemicals. Some examples
of the types of information the U.S. makes available are as follows.
Announcements about significant pesticide regulatory control actions are
sent to the Designated National Authorities, the network of regulatory
officials created for the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention on the
Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals
and Pesticides in International Trade. Further, EPA is engaged in a
3
ILO Convention 170 may be viewed on the ILO website at:
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
3
“Chemical Right to Know” program, which includes an “HPV Challenge
Program” the goal of which is to ensure that the American public has access
to basic information about the hazards associated with industrial chemicals
manufactured and used in the greatest quantities in the United States today.
The program is designed to secure the generation of complete hazard
screening data for High Production Volume (HPV) commercial chemicals.
The USEPA is currently completing the design of the High Production
Volume Information System (HPVIS), a database that will house all of the
information submitted under the HPV Challenge Program. By the end of
2005, All data submitted under the program is expected to be made available
to the public through HPVIS. In addition, USEPA is working closely with
the OECD and the European Commission in the development of a global
information portal to make the US HPV Challenge data and European
Commission existing chemical information available to the public through a
single access point. Information on toxic chemical releases and transfers are
reported under US Toxics Release Inventory reporting obligations and made
publicly available.
There are also numerous means of information exchange. EPA has done
pioneering work in the development of the Chemicals Information Exchange
Network (CIEN) and is actively involved in the INFOCAP project under
IFCS. We have also encouraged the development of stronger links in North
America through the Working Group on the Sound Management of
Chemicals (SMOC). EPA supports INFOTERRA, which facilitates
international access to information as well, responding to inquiries from all
over the world.
Please indicate if the established infrastructure includes:
1) website where national partners can gain access to chemical information
sources,
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
Examples of this are:
The EPA home page: http://www.epa.gov/
Industrial chemical information: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr
US HPV Program: http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/volchall.htm
Pesticides information: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/
Toxics Release Inventory Program: http://www.epa.gov/tri/index.htm
The EPA CIEN home page: http://www.epa.gov/cien
INFOTERRA: http://www.epa.gov/INFOTERRA/
2) institutional directory listing sources of information
Yes
4.
X
No
‫ڤ‬
NATIONAL PROCEDURES ON SAFETY INFORMATION FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN
CIRCULATION
Priority for Action C3
4
4a)
Does your country have procedures in place to ensure that any hazardous material
put into circulation is accompanied, at a minimum, by appropriate and reliable
safety information that is easy to access, read and understand?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes":
Are the procedures consistent with the safety data sheets of the 1990 International
Labour Organization Chemicals Convention (No.170)?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
Essentially.
Do they conform to the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and
Labelling Of Chemicals?
Yes
5.
‫ڤ‬
No
X
Not yet.
ECOLOGICALLY SOUND AND INTEGRATED STRATEGIES FOR PEST MANAGEMENT
Priority for Action D1
5a)
Has your country prepared integrated pest management strategies?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
The U.S. is committed to the development and implementation of ecologically
sound and integrated strategies for pest management through its National
IPM Program. The National IPM Program includes a broad partnership of
governmental institutions working with many stakeholders on diverse pest
management issues. The program is coordinated at the Federal level by the
Federal IPM Coordinating Committee (FIPMCC) which is made up of
representatives of the major participating Federal agencies and departments.
In order to ensure coordination and greater integration of IPM, the U.S. has
undertaken the development of the National Pest Management Strategic
Plan. In May 2004, the FIPMCC released the National Road Map for
Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The Road Map identifies strategic
directions for IPM research, implementation and measurement for all pests,
in all settings, throughout the nation. The Road Map is posted on the WEB
at http://northeastipm.org/whatis_ipmroadmap.pdf .
Using the Road Map to guide them, regions and states of the U.S. have
initiated development their own strategies which are geographically based
and address agricultural, urban and institutional IPM priorities
If "Yes", were national studies done to develop the strategies?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
5
While the regional and crop strategies are designed to have a limited scope,
many have national components.
6.
OBSOLETE STOCKS OF PESTICIDES AND OTHER CHEMICALS
Priority for Action D2
6a)
Are there any obsolete stocks of pesticides and/or other chemicals in your
country?
Yes
6b)
X
No
‫ڤ‬
Has your country prepared an action plan for disposal of obsolete stocks of
pesticides and other chemicals?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
If "Yes", has the action plan been implemented?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
If "Yes", has the action plan been completed?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
If "No", is work in progress to prepare an action plan?
Yes
No
‫ ڤ‬If yes, what is the expected completion date (year)?
X
___________
If no, why not? _________________________________________
Once the Stockholm Convention is ratified, the United States will
develop a National Action Plan that will include the environmentally
sound management of POPs listed in Annexes A and B. In the
meantime, however, there are on-going, voluntary state programs
focused on collecting and disposing of all unwanted or obsolete
pesticides, including POPs pesticides. As of 2004, 46 of the 50 states
have conducted at least one pesticide collection and disposal program
and 31 states have active programs. Since 1980, these pesticide
disposal programs, also known as Clean Sweeps, have collected and
properly disposed of more than 43 million pounds of pesticides. In
November 2001, EPA published a report summarizing the
accomplishments of the state Clean Sweep programs. For more
information, see the Clean Sweep web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/csb_page/updates/cleansweep.htm
In addition to domestic programs, the US works with Canada and
Mexico to implement the sound management of chemicals project
under the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. This work
6
has resulted in North American Action Plans (NARAPs) to address
pesticides and chemicals of concern in North America. These plans,
where appropriate, include actions on the management of unwanted
stockpiles of pesticides or chemicals. For additional information:
http://www.cec.org/programs_projects/pollutants_health/smoc/smocrap.cfm?varlan=english
Other sources of information: Information on the management of wastes
can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/index.htm. Information
on disposal of mercury wastes is at:
http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/epagov/www.epa.gov/epaoswer/haz
waste/mercury/reg_stand.htm.
Information on PCB regulation, including PCB wastes is at:
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pcb/index.html.
7.
NATIONAL SYSTEMS FOR PREVENTION OF MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE
Priority for Action D4
7a)
Has your country implemented a national system for emergency preparedness and
response, in accordance with international principles 4?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", is work in progress to implement the system?
Yes
7b)
No
‫ڤ‬
Is there a national law requiring the system?
Yes
7c)
‫ ڤ‬expected completion date (year)? _______________
X
No
‫ڤ‬
Has your country ratified and implemented ILO Convention 1745 on Prevention
of Major Industrial Accidents?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
The US has laws and policies in place accomplishing essentially the same
ends.
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
4
Ref. OECD Second Edition 2003 Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and
Response, undertaken in cooperation with other international organizations, including ILO, IMO, UNECE,
UNEP, UNOCHA (UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit) and WHO.
5
ILO Convention 170 may be viewed on the ILO website at:
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
7
Yes
8.
‫ڤ‬
No
X
INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES
8a)
Has your government implemented the revised International Code of Conduct on
the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (November 2002) 6 as the basis for a
comprehensive life cycle approach to pesticide management ?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
8b)
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
Have the provisions of the Code of Conduct been implemented through other
pieces of legislation or by other means?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please briefly describe.
The essential elements of the Code are embodied in existing Federal and state
pesticide legislation, and in the programs developed to implement the
legislation. The primary intended audiences for the Code are countries
which currently lack the regulatory and technical infrastructure for pesticide
control and management. By serving on the FAO Expert Panel which has
revised and is developing implementation strategies, the US continues to
support the Code as a model for sound pesticide and pest control
management.
9.
POISON CENTRES
Priority for Action D7
9a)
Have poison centre(s) been established in your country?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please indicate classification level for each poison centre:
The US does not classify the levels of individual poison centres, but has an
extensive network of hospitals and clinics equipped to respond to poisoning
incidents.
To facilitate access to information to address pesticide poisonings, or
exposures that result in adverse health effects, all pesticide product labels
must include information on first aid and emergency response. CPSC also
6
The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides may be viewed at:
http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/
8
requires labelling of non-pesticide consumer products that pose poisoning
risks, and OSHA enforces labelling and safety data sheet requirements for
workplace chemicals.
EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)’s Pesticide Incident Response
Officer coordinates information at a national, regional and state level in
matters related to pesticide intoxications. To promote the access to critical
information to health professions (as well as the public as a whole), OPP
supports the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), which has a
toll-free telephone service providing pesticide information to the U.S.,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It is staffed by highly qualified and
trained pesticide specialists with toxicology and environmental chemistry
education, and who provide guidance on the recognition and management of
pesticide poisonings. NPIC maintains an informative web-site:
http://www.npic.orst.edu
The National Pesticide Medical Monitoring Program (a cooperative effort
between EPA and Oregon State University) provides investigators with
extensive experience in clinical toxicology, public health and regulatory
issues, who identify and report cases of pesticide intoxications, and provide
laboratory assistance in clinical and environmental investigation of pesticiderelated matters.
In addition, OPP has made available the fifth edition of Recognition and
Management of Pesticide Poisoning handbook in both English and Spanish:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/healthcare/handbook/handbook.htm
9b)
Is strengthening of poison centers planned? If "Yes", for what time period? EPA
and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have established a national
surveillance program for pesticide poisonings, known as the SENSOR –
Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk, intended to build
and maintain occupational illness and injury surveillance capacity with state
health departments. One of the illnesses supported under SENSOR is acute
occupational pesticide-related illness and injury, and information is collected
from 12 state health departments. The national aggregated database (which
includes incidents from two years in the 12 state programs) indicates that
10,000 to 20.000 physician-diagnosed pesticide poisonings occur each year
among the approximately 3,380,000 US agricultural workers. The SENSOR
supported surveillance systems perform in-depth investigations for case
confirmation, and develop preventive interventions aimed at particular
industries or pesticide hazards.
9c)
If there are no established poison centres in your country, is work under way in
your country to establish a poison control centre with related chemical and
analytical facilities for the first time?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes" when do you expect the poison control centre to be operational? Please
provide location and date (year).
________________________________________________________
9
10.
POLLUTANT RELEASE AND TRANSFER REGISTERS/EMISSION INVENTORIES
Priority for Action D8
10a)
Has your country established:
An air emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
A land emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
A water emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
A waste inventory?
Yes
X
Under various programs.
A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", is work being initiated to design a PRTR or emission inventory
system?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
10 b) Has your country implemented a system comparable to the PRTR (e.g. the
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)?
Yes
11.
X
No
‫ڤ‬
PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN TOXIC & DANGEROUS PRODUCTS
Priority for Action F
11a)
Has your country developed a national strategy, or other national measures (e.g.
legislation, action plans) for the prevention of illegal traffic in toxic and
dangerous products?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
10
The US has for many years had national laws and programs addressing this
problem, and EPA has a working relationship with the US Customs Service
aimed at identification and interdiction.
If "Yes", when was it prepared? Please indicate date (year)
12.
Children and Chemical Safety (Forum IV Recommendation)
12a)
Has your government prepared, through multi-stakeholder consultation,
initial national assessments of children’s environmental health and
chemical safety?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
12b)
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
Has your government taken action to promote harmonized data collection,
research, legislation and regulations, and the use of indicators of children’s
environmental health?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please briefly describe:
The US government through the efforts of the US Environmental Protection
Agency has an active and ongoing program related to indictaors of children's
environmental health. Specifically, the Office of Children's Health
Protection and the EPA Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation have
jointly developed the nation's first assessment of the environmental factors
most likely to affect the health and well-being of children. The report, titled
America's Children and the Environment: A First View of Available Measures
(December 2000) (See
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/index.htm), presents key
information about children's environmental exposures, biomonitoring, and
diseases that may have environmental causes.
America's Children and the Environment: Measures of Contaminants, Body
Burdens, and Illnesses (Second Edition) (February 2003) (See
http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/index.htm) is now available.
Drawing on information from various sources, the report shows trends in
environmental contaminant levels in air, water, food, and soil;
concentrations of contaminants measured in the bodies of children and
women; and childhood illnesses that may be influenced by exposure to
environmental contaminants.
America's Children and the Environment is modeled after the publication
America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being (See
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/), which is published by the
11
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America's
Children includes indicators of children's health and well-being in all aspects
of life, including health, education, and family life.
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
13. HAZARD DATA GENERATION (Forum IV Recommendation)
13a)
Has your government established national priorities for information
generation for chemicals that are not produced in high volumes?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
Other Forum IV Recommendations address:
Please provide brief information on specific actions your government has taken to
respond to the recommendations of Forum IV in these areas:
Occupational Safety and Health;
Acutely Toxic Pesticides – risk management and reduction;
Capacity building;
INFOCAP (Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound
Management of Chemicals ) implementation.
Aspects to the above items are embedded either in the above profile, in sync
with the requisite IFCS activity where it may apply to the U.S. (many are
targeted to developing countries) or in a variety of other U.S. Government
sources or intergovernmental organization reports, i.e., a specific agency
website or a tabulation of capacity building efforts respectively. We would be
happy to facilitate more information on these topics as interest warrants.
12
Details of person completing the questionnaire:
IFCS National Focal Point:
Yes
Charles M. Auer
Name:
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Title:
US Environmental Protection Agency (7401M)
Ministry
1200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Address
Washington, DC 20460 USA
No
(202) 564-3810
Tel:
(202) 564-0575
31 March 2005
Fax:
Date:
auer.charles@epa.gov
Email:
Signature:
Please provide the following additional information:
Does the IFCS National Focal Point have direct access to the Internet in his/her office?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", does he/she have access to the Internet in the building where he/she works?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
13