G/TBT/N/USA/1955  
20 December 2022  
(22-9502) 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) [1986]  
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 if 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 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other  [X]: To ensure the public is protected from unreasonable risks from chemicals in 
a way that is supported by science and the law.  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where ap plicable):  n-
Methylpyrrolidone (NMP); Environmental protection (ICS code(s): 13.020); Production in 
the chemical industry (ICS code(s): 71.020); Products of the chemical industry (ICS 
code(s): 71.100)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notif ied document:  n-
Methylpyrrolidone (NMP); Revision to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Risk 
Determination; Notice of Availability; (7 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
announcing the av ailability of the final revision to the risk determination for the n- 
methylpyrrolidone (NMP) risk evaluation  issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act 
(TSCA) . The revision to the NMP risk determination reflects the announced policy change. 
The revision to the NMP risk determination reflects the  announced policy changes to 
ensure the public is protected from unreasonable risks from chemicals in a way that is 
supported by science and the law. EPA determined that NMP, as a whole chemical 
substance, presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health when evaluated under its 
conditions of use. In addition, this revised risk determination does not reflect an 
assumption that workers always appropriately wear personal protective equipment (PPE). 
EPA understands that there could be adequate occupational sa fety protections in place at 
certain workplace locations; however, not assuming use of PPE reflects EPA's recognition 
that unreasonable risk may exist for subpopulations of workers that may be highly 
exposed because they are not covered by Occupational Saf ety and Health Administration 
(OSHA) standards, or their employers are out of compliance with OSHA standards, or 
because many of OSHA's chemical - specific permissible exposure limits largely adopted 
in the 1970's are described by OSHA as being "outdated an d inadequate for ensuring 
protection of worker health," or because OSHA has not issued a chemical -specific 
permissible exposure limit (PEL) (as is the case for NMP), or because EPA finds 
unreasonable risk for purposes of TSCA notwithstanding OSHA requireme nts. This revision G/TBT/N/USA/1955  
 
- 2 - 
 
  supersedes the condition of use -specific no unreasonable risk determinations in the 
December 2020 NMP Risk Evaluation and withdraws the associated TSCA order included 
in the December 2020 NMP Risk Evaluation.  
7. Objective and rationale,  including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
87 Federal Register (FR) 77596, 19 December 2022:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-12-19/html/2022 -27438.htm  
https://www.govin fo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-12-19/pdf/2022 -27438.pdf  
n-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP); Draft Revision to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Risk 
Determination; Notice of Availability and Request for Comment published 1 July 2022:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-07-01/html/2022 -14108.htm  
https://www.govin fo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-07-01/pdf/2022 -14108.pdf  
This notice and the notice of availability and request for comment published 1 July 2022 
are identified by Docket Number EPA -HQ-OPPT-2016-0743. The Docket Folder is available 
on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA -HQ-OPPT-2016-
0743/document  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.  
G/TBT/N/USA/1687  - n-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP); Final Toxic Substan ces Control Act 
(TSCA) Risk Evaluation; Notice of Availability identified by Docket Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2019-0236. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  Not Applicable  
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/2022/TBT/USA/22_8691_00_e.pdf