§ 720.25 - Determining whether a chemical substance is on the Inventory.

§ 720.25 Determining whether a chemical substance is on the Inventory.

(a) A new chemical substance is any chemical substance that is not currently listed on the Inventory.

(b)

(1) A chemical substance is listed in the public portion of the Inventory by a specific chemical name (either a Chemical Abstracts (CA) Index Name or a CA Preferred Name) and a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number if its identity is not confidential. If its identity is confidential, it is listed in the public portion of the Inventory by a TSCA Accession Number and a generic chemical name that masks the specific substance identity. The confidential substance is listed by its specific chemical name only in the confidential portion of the Inventory, which is not available to the public. A person who intends to manufacture (including import) a chemical substance not listed by specific chemical name in the public portion of the Inventory may ask EPA whether the substance is included in the confidential Inventory. EPA will answer such an inquiry only if EPA determines that the person has a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) the chemical substance for commercial purposes.

(2) To establish a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) a chemical substance, the person who proposes to manufacture the substance must submit the request to EPA via CDX. Prior to submission to EPA via CDX, such bona fide intents to manufacture (including import) must be generated and completed using e-PMN software. See § 720.40(a)(2)(ii) for information on how to access the e-PMN software. A bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) must contain:

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section, the specific chemical identity of the substance that the person intends to manufacture (including import), using the currently correct CA Index name for the substance and the other correct chemical identity information in accordance with § 720.45(a) (1), (2), and (3).

(ii) A signed statement that the person intends to manufacture (including import) that chemical substance for commercial purposes.

(iii)

(A) A brief description of the research and development activities conducted to date related to the substance, including the year in which the person first started to conduct research or development activity on the substance, and the general types of research and development activities conducted thus far (e.g., synthesis, substance isolation/purification, formulating, product development, process development, end-use application, toxicity testing, etc.). The person must also indicate whether any pilot plant or production-scale plant evaluations have been conducted involving the manufacture or processing of the substance.

(B) If an importer is unable to provide the information requested in paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(A) of this section from the foreign manufacturer or supplier, the following information shall be submitted:

(1) A brief statement indicating how long the substance has been in commercial use outside of the United States.

(2) The name of a country in which it has been commercially used.

(3) Whether the importer believes that the substance has already been used commercially, in any country, for the same purpose or application that the importer is intending.

(iv) A specific description of the major intended application or use of the substance.

(v) An infrared spectrum of the substance, or alternative spectra or other data which identify the substance if infrared analysis is not suitable for the substance or does not yield a reasonable amount of structural information. When using alternative spectra or instrumental analysis, the person must submit a spectrum or instrumental readout for the substance.

(vi) The estimated date (month/year) in which the person intends to submit a Premanufacture Notice (PMN) for this substance if EPA informs the notice submitter that the substance is not on the Inventory.

(vii) The address of the facility under the control of the submitter at which the manufacture or processing of the substance would most likely occur. For an imported substance, the facility under the control of the importer at which processing of the substance would likely occur, if any.

(viii)

(A) For substances intended to be manufactured in the United States, a description of the most probable manufacturing process that would be used by the submitter to produce the substance for non-exempt commercial purposes.

(B) For substances intended to be imported, a brief description of how the submitter is most likely to process or use the substance for a commercial purpose. If the substance is not expected to be processed or used at any facility under the importer's control, a statement to this effect must be included along with a description of how the substance will be processed or used at sites controlled by others, if this information is known or reasonably ascertainable.

(3)

(i) If an importer cannot provide the chemical identity information required by paragraph (b)(2) (i) and (v) of this section because it is claimed confidential by its foreign manufacturer or supplier, the foreign manufacturer or supplier must supply the required information directly to EPA in accordance with § 720.45(a) (1), (2), and (3) and reference the importer's notice. If the appropriate supporting document from the foreign party is not received within 30 days after EPA receives the importer's notice, the notice will be considered incomplete.

(ii) If a manufacturer cannot provide all of the required information in accordance with § 720.45(a) (1), (2), and (3) because the new chemical substance is manufactured using a reactant that has a specific chemical identity claimed as confidential by its supplier, the notice must contain chemical identity information that is as complete as known by the manufacturer. In addition, a letter of support for the notice must then be sent to EPA by the chemical supplier of the confidential reactant, providing the specific chemical identity of the proprietary reactant. The letter of support must reference the manufacturer's notice. If the appropriate supporting document from the supplier is not received within 30 days after EPA receives the manufacturer's notice, the notice will be considered incomplete.

(4) EPA will review the information submitted by the proposed manufacturer (including importer) under this paragraph to determine whether it has a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) the chemical substance. If necessary, EPA will compare this information to the information requested for the confidential chemical substance under § 720.85(b)(3)(iii).

(5) If the proposed manufacturer (including importer) has shown a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) the substance, and has provided sufficient unambiguous chemical identity information so EPA can make a conclusive determination of the chemical substance's Inventory status, EPA will search the confidential Inventory and inform the proposed manufacturer (including importer) whether the chemical substance is on the confidential Inventory.

(6) If the chemical substance is found on the confidential Inventory, EPA will notify the person(s) who originally reported the chemical substance that another person has demonstrated a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) the substance and therefore was told that the chemical substance is on the Inventory.

(7) A disclosure of a confidential chemical identity to a person with a bona fide intent to manufacture (including import) the particular chemical substance will not be considered a public disclosure of confidential business information under section 14 of the Act.

(8) EPA will answer an inquiry on whether a particular chemical substance is on the confidential Inventory within 30 days after receipt of a complete submission under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(9) If the required chemical identity information has not been reported correctly or completely in the notice (except as provided under paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section) or if any other required data or information has been omitted or is incomplete, EPA will consider the whole notice to be incomplete. As soon as an incomplete notice is identified as such by EPA, the Agency will immediately return the notice directly to the submitter. The submitter must then resubmit the whole, completed bona fide notice to EPA in order to have the Agency perform the desired Inventory search and respond to the notice.

[48 FR 21742, May 13, 1983, as amended at 58 FR 34204, June 23, 1993; 60 FR 16309, Mar. 29, 1995; 80 FR 42745, July 20, 2015]