G/TBT/N/USA/1685  
8 January 2021  
(21-0290) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [1714]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated i f different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Asbestos 
(Chrysotile Asbestos), risk evaluation; Asbestos (excl. products made from asbestos) 
(HS 2524); Environmental prot ection (ICS 13.020), Protection against dangerous goods 
(ICS 13.300), Production in the chemical industry (ICS 71.020), Products of the chemical 
industry (ICS 71.100)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Asbestos 
(Part 1: Ch rysotile Asbestos); Final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Risk Evaluation; 
Notice of Availability (3 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
announcing the availability of the final Toxic S ubstances Control Act (TSCA) risk 
evaluation of Asbestos Part 1 (Chrysotile Asbestos). The purpose of conducting risk 
evaluations under TSCA is to determine whether a chemical substance presents an 
unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment u nder the conditions of use, 
including an unreasonable risk to a relevant potentially exposed or susceptible 
subpopulation, without consideration of costs or other nonrisk factors. EPA has 
determined that specific conditions of use of Chrysotile Asbestos pr esent an unreasonable 
risk of injury to health. For those conditions of use for which EPA has found an 
unreasonable risk, EPA must take regulatory action to address that unreasonable risk 
through risk management measures enumerated in TSCA. EPA has also de termined that 
specific conditions of use do not present unreasonable risk of injury to health or the 
environment. For those conditions of use for which EPA has found no unreasonable risk 
to health or the environment, the Agency's determination is a final A gency action and is 
issued via order in the risk evaluation. EPA is currently developing Part 2 of the TSCA risk 
evaluation for Asbestos which will evaluate risk of injury to health or the environment for 
legacy uses and associated disposals of asbestos. T he Agency plans to release a draft 
scope for Part 2 of the risk evaluation for Asbestos for public comment mid -year 2021.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protection of the environment  G/TBT/N/USA/1685  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 86 Federal Register (FR) 89, 4 January 2021:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-01-04/html/2020 -29109.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-01-04/pdf/2020 -29109.pdf  
This notice is identified by Docket Number EPA -HQ-OPPT-2019-0501. The Docket Folder 
is available on Regulations.gov  at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EPA -HQ-OPPT-
2019-0501 and provides access to primary and supporting documents as well as 
comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching 
the Docket Number.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  None 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/TBT/USA/21_0288_00_e.pdf