G/TBT/N/USA/1171  
 
3 August 2016  
(16-4153)  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) [1189] 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point 
Email: usatbtep@nist.gov   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10 .1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other: 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, wher e applicable): Chemical substances. 
Environmental protection (ICS: 13.020), Produc ts of the chemical industry (ICS: 71.100) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Significant New 
Uses of Chemical Substances; Updates to the Hazard Communication Program and 
Regulatory Framework; Minor Amendments to Reporting Requirements for Premanufacture 
Notices (16 pages, in English)  
6. Description of content: EPA is proposing changes to the existing regulations governing 
significant new uses of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to align these regulations with revisions to the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication s Standard (HCS), which are proposed to 
be cross referenced, and with changes to the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) respirator certification requirements pertaining to respiratory protecti on of workers from exposure to chemicals. 
EPA is also proposing changes to the significant new uses of chemical substances 
regulations based on issues that have been id entified by EPA and issues raised by public 
commenters for Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) previously proposed and issued under 
these regulations. Additionally, EPA is proposing a minor change to reporting requirements 
for premanufacture notices (PMNs) and other TSCA section 5 notices. EPA expects these 
changes to have minimal impacts on the costs and burdens of complying, while updating 
the significant new use reporting requirements to assist in addressing any potential effects 
to human health and the environment.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents: 81 Federal Register (FR) 49598, 28 July2016; Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 720, 721 and 723. Will appear in the Federal Register 
when adopted. G/TBT/N/USA/1171 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 26 September 2016 
11. Texts available from: National enquir y point [] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachm ents/2016/TBT/USA/16_3082_00_e.pdf