CITIZEN PETITION TO THE UNITED STATES

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

________________________________________________

)

FOOD & WATER WATCH,                 )

       )

BEYOND PESTICIDE

   

)   

S     )

    )

    Petitioners,   

        

Filed With:          )

)     Docket No.  

       )

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL )

PROTECTION AGENCY and ) 

Lisa Jackson, Administrator )    

    

      )

     )

________________________________________________) 

Food & Water Watch 

Suite 300 

1616 P Street, NW 

ashington, DC 20036 

202) 683-2500

W

(

Beyond Pesticides 

Suite 200 

 

0003 

701 E Street, SE SUBMITTED BY: 

Washington, DC 2

 (202) 543‐5450       

    

Perry E. Wallace 

Zelle Hofmann Voelbel 

5 

& Mason LLP 

uite 65

. 20006 

1700 K St. N.W., S

Washington, D.C

(301) 675‐5969 

Attorney for Petitioners 

1
CITIZEN PETITION FOR A BAN ON TRICLOSAN 

Introduction

Petitioners Beyond Pesticides and Food & Water Watch, acting through counsel, 

hereby submit this Citizen Petition for a Ban on Triclosan ( Petition). Petitioners are nonprofit organizations engaged in research, education and advocacy on behalf of the public, 

seeking to protect public health and safety and the environment from the adverse effects 

of widespread triclosan usage. 

Petitioners’ Right to Petition 

This Petition is submitted pursuant to the right to petition government contained 

in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution,1

 the Administrative Procedure 

Act2 (APA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act3 (FIFRA), the 

Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA),4 the Federal Water Pollution Control 

Act5 (Clean Water Act or CWA), the Safe Drinking Water Act6 (SDWA) and the 

 

1 U.S. Const., Amend. I. (“Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the people ... to petition 

Government for a redress of grievances.”). The right to petition for redress of grievances is among the most 

precious of the liberties safeguarded by the Bill of Rights. United Mine Workers of Am., Dist. 12 v. Illinois 

State Bar Ass’n, 389 U.S. 217, 222 (1967). It shares the “preferred place” accorded in our system of 

government to the First Amendment freedoms, and has a sanctity and a sanction not permitting dubious 

intrusions.” Thomas v. Collins, 323 U.S. 516, 530 (1945). “Any attempt to restrict those First Amendment 

liberties must be justified by clear public interest, threatened not doubtful or remotely, but by clear and 

present danger.” Id. The Supreme Court has recognized that the right to petition is logically implicit in, and 

fundamental to, the very idea of a republican form of government. United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U.S. (2 

Otto) 542, 552 (1875). 

2 5 U.S.C. § 553(e) (2005) (“Each agency shall give an interested person the right to petition for the 

issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule.”). 

3 7 U.S.C. § 136w et seq. 

4

 21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq. 

5

 33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq. 

6

 42 U.S.C. § 300f-300j-26. 

2
Endangered Species Act7

 (ESA). Petitioners request that the Administrator of the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use her authority under FIFRA, the FFDCA, the 

CWA, the SWDA and the ESA to grant any and all remedies available under relevant 

federal law. 

Triclosan; Characteristics, Uses and Regulatory Agencies 

Triclosan is a synthetic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial chemical that is currently 

used extensively in a wide range of consumer products. These products fall under the 

jurisdiction of both the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the EPA. 

For those products under EPA’s jurisdiction, EPA decided in 2008 that the currently 

registered uses of triclosan are eligible for “reregistration.”8

 This Petition is submitted 

based primarily on the steadily increasing scientific knowledge and consensus about 

triclosan’s adverse effects on public health and safety and the environment. Petitioners 

also address the EPA RED’s analysis in order to illustrate the inadequacies of past EPA 

analyses and conclusions about triclosan. 

Summary of Relief Sought and Scientific Grounds 

1. Specific Relief Requested 

Petitioners urge the Administrator to grant the following relief in this Petition:

FIFRA and FFDCA 

• Reopening the RED; 

• Suspension and Cancellation (Petitioners’ principal 

requested relief) ; and 

• Any Other Remedies Called for by Federal Law. 

 

7

 7 U.S.C. §136; 16 U.S.C. §460 et seq.

8

 Environmental Protection Agency, Final Reregistration Eligibility Decision for triclosan (RED). 

3
CWA 

• Technology-Based Effluent Limitations; 

• Health-Based Toxic Pollutant Water Quality Pretreatment Requirements; 

• Biosolids Regulation. 

SDWA 

• Comprehensive assessment of appropriateness of listing and regulation. 

ESA 

• Consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 

Commerce; 

• Preparation of a Biological Assessment. 

2. The Remedy Should Be Based on “Transparency and Sound Science.”

Petitioners believe that applicable law and science justify the relief requested 

below and that therefore the Administrator should act decisively. In this regard, 

Petitioners endorse the approach and the policies applied by the Administrator in EPA’s 

decision to launch “a comprehensive new evaluation of the pesticide atrazine to 

determine its effects on humans.”9

 In the case of triclosan, however, Petitioners will 

demonstrate that the scientific evidence and the legal authorities are so substantial as to 

require suspension of the registered uses of triclosan pending agency deliberations 

regarding cancellation. 

 In making its “new evaluation” of atrazine, EPA will investigate its 

potential effects with respect to cancer and non-cancer effects on humans, birth defects, 

 

9

 See EPA. EPA Begins New Scientific Evaluation of Atrazine. 10/07/2009. 

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/554b6abea9d0672f852576

48004a88c1!OpenDocument

4
low birth weight, premature births and amphibians and aquatic ecosystems.10 Steve 

Owens, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 

Substances, explained EPA’s decision to reconsider its past approvals of atrazine as 

follows: 

One of Administrator Jackson’s top priorities is to improve the way EPA 

manages and assesses the risk of chemicals, including pesticides, and as 

part of that effort, we are taking a hard look at the decision made by the 

previous administration on atrazine ...Our examination of atrazine will be 

based on transparency and sound science, including independent scientific 

peer review, and will help determine whether a change in EPA’s 

regulatory position on this pesticide is appropriate.”11

Petitioners believe that the same scientific and legal grounds exist in regard to the 

potential adverse health and environmental effects of triclosan as do in regard to atrazine, 

and, given the widespread public and environmental exposure to it, a mandate exists for 

urgent action to suspend the uses stipulated in this Petition. Accordingly, Petitioners 

assert that the relief requested below is soundly based and is justified. 

3. Summary of Major Scientific Points 

 The major points presented in this Petition are the following: 

• Endocrine Disruption. Endocrine disruption is another potential result of 

triclosan bioaccumulation in the body. This effect, in turn, poses serious 

 

10 Id. 11 Id. 

5
threats to thyroid and other organ functions, and it can also influence the 

development of cancer. 

• Bacterial Resistance. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications and 

antibacterial cleansers is just one category of threats emanating from the 

growing body burden of triclosan. Such resistance renders humans 

(especially vulnerable subpopulations) wide open to bacteria-induced 

illnesses and death; 

• Body Burden. The presence of triclosan in the human body (as evidenced 

by scientific studies of its activity in blood, urine and breast milk) imposes 

an immense and dangerous “body burden.” This presence raises concerns 

about a multitude of threats to humans; 

• Wastewater, Sludge and Food Contamination. Wastewater 

contamination by triclosan is a serious health threat. Importantly, triclosan 

products used in the home and in the workplace typically yield residues 

that flow into wastewater from rinsing, cleaning and other normal 

activities. Because these residues are not rendered harmless by the 

wastewater treatment process, they are free to reenter the environment—

and ultimately the human body; 

• Failure to Address Major Degradates. Once in the larger environment, 

triclosan poses numerous additional dangers: 

6
o It may be transformed into dioxin and chloroform when exposed to 

sunlight under certain conditions, thus creating the threat of cancer 

development; 

• Aquatic and Other Ecosystem Impacts. Because it is present in the 

larger environment, triclosan can be highly toxic to different types of 

algae, thus creating both specific threats as well as potential destruction of 

larger ecosystem balance. Threatened and endangered species and their 

habitat, to the extent they come into contact with sufficient quantities of 

triclosan, are vulnerable. 

• Efficacy. Numerous scientific studies and reports indicate that triclosan is 

not any more effective than many safer, less-expensive products. 

Therefore, consumers and other users of triclosan products suffer, at a 

minimum, economic detriment from having purchased a product that is 

unnecessarily costly, and, in the worst case, poses potential danger to their 

health and safety. 

• Organizational Actions and Decisions Targeting Triclosan. As a result 

of the rapidly mounting evidence, serious concerns about triclosan’s safety 

and efficacy have led a number of governmental, professional, corporate 

and other organizations to condemn or reject that substance as appropriate 

for many uses in society. 

7
These points are discussed in detail in Section II of this Petition. 

I. Environmental Laws Violated by Triclosan Usage, and the

Administrator’s Authority to Take Action to Protect Public Health

and Safety and the Environment and the Requested Relief

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act,12 (FIFRA) and the 

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act13 (FFDCA) are the principal statutes relied upon in 

this Petition. Nonetheless, the pervasive and widespread use of triclosan, along with its 

particular characteristics and the nature of its authorized uses, has also triggered actual or 

potential violations of certain other federal statutes. This section describes the various 

statutes invoked by this usage. 

A. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Food, 

Drug and Cosmetic Act 

1. Objectives, Structure and Relevant Legal Provisions

Under FIFRA, EPA may not register a “pesticide” unless the chemical will 

perform its intended function without causing any “unreasonable adverse effects on the 

environment.”14 This effect is defined as “any unreasonable risk to man or the 

environment, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and 

benefits of the use of any pesticide.”15

Regulatory Jurisdiction of EPA and FDA

EPA and the FDA both have major regulatory mandates regarding substances like 

triclosan.16 Further, the two agencies have concurrent jurisdiction over certain substances 

 

12 7 U.S.C. § 136w et seq. 

13 21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq. 

14 7 U.S.C. § 136a(c)(5)(C). 

15 7 U.S.C. §136(bb). 

16 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug 

Administration, Drug/Pesticide Products for Use on or in Animals, 48 Fed. Reg. 22799 (May 20, 1983); 

Enforcement of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Registration, Reregistration and 

8
and uses. Examples include: sanitizers for food contact surfaces; microbiocides in 

packaging coming into contact with food; antimicrobial agents used on medical devices; 

and substances used to control microorganisms in cane sugar and beet sugar mills.17

EPA Regulation 

 Although EPA’s regulatory mandate under FIFRA covers a number of activities, 

the most pertinent ones to this Petition are registration (including reregistration), labeling 

and pesticide residue tolerances. 

 FIFRA Section 3(a) prohibits the distribution or sale of a pesticide that is not 

registered under that statute.18 The Administrator will register a pesticide upon a 

determination, subject to any applicable restrictions, that: its composition is such as to 

warrant the proposed claims about it; its labeling and other submitted material comply 

with FIFRA; it will perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on 

the environment; and when used in accordance with widespread and commonly 

recognized practice it will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the 

environment.19

The reregistration review requirements imposed on EPA by FIFRA reflect an 

increasing concern for protection of human health and the environment. Indeed, a series 

of statutory amendments to FIFRA, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and 

Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1988, the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 and the 

 Classification Procedures, 44 Fed. Reg. 63749 (Nov. 5, 1979) (Update to Memorandum of Agreement); 

Agreement Between Department of Health, Education and Welfare and Environmental Protection Agency, 

Notice Regarding Matters of Mutual Responsibility, Amendment, 38 Fed. Reg. 24233 (Sept. 6, 

1973)(regulatory exemption from FIFRA of certain products subject to the FFDCA); Agreement Between 

Department of Health, Education and Welfare and Environmental Protection Agency, Notice Regarding 

Matters of Mutual Responsibility, 36 Fed. Reg. 24234 (Dec. 22, 1971).(Memorandum of Agreement). 17 E Brown, A Claassen, C Hathaway, J Homstead, T Powell, W Wehrum, K Weinstein, Pesticide 

Regulation Deskbook, 12 (2000). 

18 7 U.S.C. § 136a(a). 

19 7 U.S.C. § 136a(c)(5)(A)-(D). 

9
Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003, all evidence a growing consensus in 

society and among public policymakers that strict regulation of pesticides is vital to the 

health and safety of humans and the ecosystems of which they are a part.20

 Each Phase of the reregistration review process reflects this emphasis. In 

particular, currency and completeness of pertinent data and studies, as well as thorough 

and comprehensive assessment by the agency, lie at the heart of the process. Section 4 (a) 

of FIFRA requires the EPA Administrator to reregister each registered pesticide 

containing any active ingredient contained in any pesticide first registered before 

November 1, 1984.21 Triclosan was first registered by EPA in 1969. Having completed 

Phase V of its reregistration review for triclosan, has issued the present final RED. 

FIFRA contains several statutory provisions authorizing the Administrator to 

ban or otherwise restrict the manufacture, labeling and sale of a pesticide when use 

of that pesticide would have unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the 

environment. These provisions include: registration and re‐registration; suspension 

and cancellation of pesticide registrations; special review; notice of warning; civil 

penalties; civil administrative proceedings; supplemental environmental projects; stop 

sale, use, or removal orders; seizure; injunction; and criminal proceedings. 

The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act22 (FFDCA) was first enacted by 

Congress in 1938 to provide a comprehensive mandate for the federal Food and Drug 

 

20 See, FIFRA Amendments of 1988, Press Release, October 26, 1988, available at 

http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/fifra/01.htm. "I am pleased with this bill and want to commend 

Congress for this action," said EPA Administrator Lee M. Thomas. "It will go a long way toward assuring 

safer pesticide use." 

21 7 U.S.C. § 136a-1(a). 

22 21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq. 

10
Administration (FDA) in its oversight of food, drug, and cosmetic safety.23 FFDCA 

Section 408 authorizes EPA to set tolerances, or maximum residue limits, for pesticide 

residues on foods. The FFDCA was amended in 1996 by the Food Quality Protection Act 

to impose enhanced standards for the protection of not only adults, but also children, 

infants and other vulnerable subpopulations. In setting tolerances, EPA must make a 

finding that the tolerance is “safe.” Safe is defined as meaning that there is a "reasonable 

certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide residue."24 

EPA possesses certain authority to protect the public from unsafe pesticide 

residues. This authority includes: establishment of a tolerance or grant of a tolerance 

exemption; modification, suspension or revocation of the tolerance; requirement of 

submission of additional data or information.

2. Violations of Law and Requested Relief

In their December 2008 Comments on EPA/OPP Reregistration Eligibility 

Decision for Triclosan (EPA Comments)25, Petitioners described the FIFRA violations 

being allowed by EPA’s reregistration of triclosan: 

EPA ... continues to ignore serious risks posed to public health. The 

agency has failed to address the impacts posed by triclosan’s degradation 

products on human health and the environment, failed to conduct separate 

assessments for triclosan residues in contaminated drinking water and 

food and is complacent in seriously addressing concerns related to 

antibacterial resistance and endocrine disruption. As such, the agency has 

 

23 21 U.S.C. §301 et seq. 

24 21 U.S.C. § 346a (a)-(c). 

25 Comment on Proposed Rule,Triclosan: Reregistration Eligibility Decision, Notice of Availability. 

Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0513-0053. (EPA Comments), Available at www.regulation.gov. See 

Appendix B for complete list of signatories. 

11
still not proven that triclosan poses “no unreasonable adverse effects” to 

human health and the environment.26 

Petitioners take the position that the EPA RED, depending on the specific topic 

addressed, contains incomplete data, inadequate analysis, or both. Such a failure, in 

Petitioners’ view is “arbitrary, capricious” and “otherwise not in accordance with law.”27

Even EPA itself acknowledged the substantial uncertainty lying at the core of its own 

decision. Noting the “considerable amount of ongoing research regarding triclosan” and 

the “rapidly developing scientific database” for the chemical, EPA intends to “accelerate 

the schedule for the reregistration review process” by ten years.28 

 Indeed, the research has been ongoing and the scientific database has developed 

considerably. It is, in fact, in light of not only the research studies and organizational 

responses identified and discussed in Petitioners’ EPA Comments but also in light of 

subsequent studies and responses to them that this Petition is being submitted. Because of 

the agency’s incomplete and inadequate assessments in its past decisions, Petitioners 

request that the Administrator now take decisive action. 

Petitioners strongly believe that the suspension/cancellation remedy is the most 

appropriate remedy, in light of the magnitude of the health threat posed by triclosan. . 

The hazards associated with triclosan use and exposure during the pendency of a long 

review does not meet EPA’s statutory duty to protect health and the environment. That is, 

because scientific studies demonstrate that the substance is used so pervasively that is 

present in most people’s bodies, EPA must take the most protective steps provided for 

 

26 Id. 

27 5 U.S.C. § 506(2)(a). See also, Love v. Thomas, 858 F.2d 1347 (9th Cir. 1988); National Grain 

Sorghum Producers Assoc., Inc. v. EPA, 84 F.3d 1452 ( D.C. Cir. 1996). 

28 EPA RED, p. 41. 

12
under the statute to protect public health. Again, the suspension/cancellation remedy was 

expressly contemplated by Congress as remedy for such a potent threat. In this regard, 

Petitioners request that EPA (1) issue a notice of cancellation of the registrationso of all 

products containing triclosan, pursuant to 7 U.S.C. § 136d(b)(1), and (2) at the same time 

issue an emergency order pursuant to 7 U.S.C. § 136d(c)(3) to suspend immediately those 

registrations. 

 Further, Petitioners’ preferred remedy of suspension/cancellation is particularly 

appropriate because EPA’s decisions allowing, in effect, violations of FIFRA and the 

FFDCA also “enable” violations of other federal environmental statutes. (See the 

discussions below of the CWA, the SDWA and the ESA.) Petitioner’s overall point in 

this regard is that EPA’s mandate under FIFRA and the FFDCA must be viewed in the 

context of its overall mandate as an agency to protect public health and the environment. 

Indeed, this point has met with the approval of the federal courts, as reflected in the 

following sections below. 

B. Clean Water Act 

1. Objectives, Structure and Relevant Legal Provisions 

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act29 (Clean Water Act or (CWA) is the 

primary statutory basis for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the 

United States and for regulating water quality standards. The United States Supreme 

Court has observed that in the CWA, Congress intended to regulate water pollution to the 

full extent of the United States Constitution’s Commerce Clause.30 As set forth in Section 

101(a), the CWA’s objective is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and 

 

29 33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq. 

30 United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, 474 U.S. 121 (1985). 

13
biological integrity of the Nation’s waters,” including the elimination of “the discharge of 

pollution into the navigable waters, the setting of interim water quality standards 

providing “protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife .” and the 

prohibition of “the discharge of toxic pollutions in toxic amounts.31

Technology-Based Regulation 

Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution control programs such as those 

setting wastewater standards for industry and water quality standards for all contaminants 

in surface waters. Pertinent to this Petition, CWA Section 301 (a) makes “the discharge 

of any pollutant by any person ... unlawful” unless that discharge is in compliance with 

relevant CWA provisions.32 Accordingly, the statute requires the Administrator to 

establish “effluent limitations,” in the form of nationally uniform, technology-based 

standards, and those standards ultimately apply to polluting “point sources.”33 The 

vehicle for imposing these standards upon individual point sources is the “National 

Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” (NPDES) permit, which allows the “discharge” 

of pollutants into navigable waters by point sources--subject to such “conditions” as will 

assure compliance with the statute’s objectives.34

Health-Based Water Quality Regulation; Toxic Pollutants 

In addition to the imposition of technology-based effluent limitations for point 

source discharges, the CWA also authorizes the establishment of water-quality-based 

standards.35 These more stringent health-based standards recognize that technology-based 

 

31 33 U.S.C. §1251(a)(1),(2), (3). 

32 33 U.S.C. §1311(a). 

33 33 U.S.C. §§1251, 1342, 1362(14). 

34 33 U.S.C. §1342(a). 

35 33 U.S.C. §§1312, 1313. See, Natural Resources Defense Council v. Environmental Protection Agency,

915 F.2d1314 (9th Cir. 1990). 

14
effluent limitations alone may not achieve the desired levels of water quality in a given 

circumstance. Among these standards are those for regulation of “toxic pollutants” under 

Section 307. 

CWA Section 307(a)(1) authorizes the Administrator to revise the list of regulated 

toxic pollutants originally identified in that statute by adding or removing a pollutant. In 

so doing, the Administrator “shall take into account toxicity of the pollutant, its 

persistence, degradability, the usual or potential presence of affected organisms in any 

waters, the importance of affected organisms, and the nature and extent of the effect of 

the toxic pollutant on such organisms.”36 Effluent limitations issued taking Section 307 

toxic pollutants into account “shall be set at that level which the Administrator 

determines provides an ample margin of safety.” 37 (Emphasis added) 

Pretreatment of Toxic Pollutants 

Industrial dischargers may choose not to discharge directly into navigable waters. 

Instead, they discharge “indirectly” into navigable waters through a POTW. Indirect 

dischargers, unlike direct dischargers, are not subject to a national permit program, but 

they are subject to the pretreatment requirements of CWA Section 307(b).38

CWA Section 307(b) requires that the Administrator establish pretreatment 

standards for [toxic pollutants] that may be introduced into publicly owned treatment 

works (POTW) that are “determined not to be susceptible to treatment by such treatment 

works or which would interfere with the operation of such treatment works” Pretreatment 

standards “shall be established to prevent the discharge of any pollutant through [POTW] 

 

36 33 U.S.C. §1317(a)(1). 

37 33 U.S.C. §1342(a)(4). 

38 See, 2 W. RODGERS, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 463-64 (1986). 

15
which pollutant interferes with, passes through, or otherwise is incompatible with such 

works.”39 

Regulation of Biosolids

The CWA also provides for the regulation of “biosolids,” which are the nutrientrich organic solid, semisolid or liquid residue generated during the treatment of domestic 

sewage in a POTW.40 Biosolids may be recycled and applied as fertilizer to soils, or it 

may be disposed of in other ways. CWA Section 405(a) provides: 

[W]here the disposal of sewage sludge resulting from the operation of a 

treatment works ...would result in any pollutant from such sewage sludge 

entering the navigable waters, such disposal is prohibited except in 

accordance with a permit issued by the Administrator.41

Pursuant to CWA Section 405, EPA has developed regulations for the permitted 

disposal and utilization of biosolids, including the identification of toxic pollutants that: 

on the basis of available information on their toxicity, persistence, 

concentration, mobility, or potential for exposure, may be present in 

sewage sludge in concentrations which may adversely affect public health 

or the environment.42 

 As mandated by CWA Section 405, EPA has promulgated the “Biosolids Rule,”43

a comprehensive rule for biosolids management that the agency asserts is based on 

 

39 33 U.S.C. §1317(b)(1).. 

40 “Sewage sludge” is (the name for the solid, semisolid or liquid residue generated during the treatment of 

domestic sewage in a treatment facility) 

41 33 U.S.C. § 1345(a). 

42 33 U.S.C. § 1345(d)(2)(A)(i). 

43 40 C.F.R. Part 503. See also, 58 Fed. Reg. 9248-9404, Feb. 19, 1993. 

16
extensive risk assessment.44 EPA’s earlier attempts at establishing a biosolids 

management rule were rejected by the federal courts as inadequate on numerous 

occasions. Ultimately, these rejections, as well as Congressional action, in the form of the 

Water Quality Act of 1987, forced proper action by the agency.45 

 The EPA Administrator’s authority to set standards regulating pollutant 

discharges and water quality—and take action against violations-- is considerable. This 

authority includes: effluent limitations; toxic and pretreatment effluent standards 

triclosan degradate 2,4 dichlorophenol is a noted CWA priority pollutant under Section 

307(a); pretreatment is required under Section 307(b) to protect wastewater treatment 

plants); records and reports; inspections; enforcement (administrative, civil, or criminal 

penalties; injunctive relief; administrative orders; civil judicial action; compliance orders; 

civil penalties; criminal penalties); oil and hazardous substance liability; national 

pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES); permits for dredged or fill material; 

disposal or use of sewage sludge (EPA Biosolids rule protects public health from certain 

pollutants and contaminants present in wastewater residues (40 CFR part 503); and 

emergency powers (imminent and substantial endangerment). 

2. Violations of Law and Requested Relief 

With the continued registration of triclosan, EPA has allowed the chemical and 

biological integrity of the nation’s waterways. As noted in Section II(D) of this Petition, 

the USGS finds that triclosan is one of the most frequently detected compounds and at 

 

44 See US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, A Plain English Guide to 

the EPA Part 503 Biosolids Rule, EPA/832/R-93/003, at 1 (September 1994). 45 See generally, Natural Resources Defense Council v. EPA, 790 F.2d 289 (3d Cir. 1986); Chicago Ass’n 

of Commerce & Indus. V. EPA, 873 F.2d 1025 (7th Cir. 1989); Armco, Inc. v. EPA, 869 F.2d 975 (6th Cir. 

1989. See also, Sierra Club v. EPA, 992 F.2d 337 (D.C. Cir. 1993) (holding that EPA’s 1991 revisions to 

the sludge management guidelines complied with CWA Section 405(d)); Water Quality Act of 1987, Public 

Law No. 100-4. 

17
some of the highest concentrations in of the nation’s waterways and levels of concern 

(LOCs) are already exceeded for aquatic plants according to EPA’s own assessment. As 

Sections II(A) and (F) of this Petition observe, studies have found that triclosan 

accumulates in fish, shellfish and possibly other aquatic organisms which may result in 

endocrine disrupting activities in these organisms. Endocrine disruption impairs the 

reproductively of many aquatic species with devastating effects on species, including 

their population size and propagation. 

 Notably, 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), which is a transformation product of 

triclosan, has been listed in accordance with Sec 307(a) and as a result, has established 

water quality standards for surface waters. According to scientific studies and EPA’s 

2008 assessment, described in Section II(E) of this Petition, triclosan in waterways 

transforms (93.8-96.6%) to 2,4-dichlorophenol, potentially leading or contributing to the 

violation of the set water quality standards set under the CWA. This is an example of 

how EPA’s failure to implement properly one federal environmental statute (FIFRA) 

directly enables a violation of another federal environmental statute (CWA). Further, 

caselaw has firmly established that even in situations in which FIFRA has not been 

violated the CWA must be respected: 

 [W]here the herbicide will enter the waters of the United States, 

FIFRA provides no method for analyzing the local impact and 

regulating the discharge from a particular point source. The NPDES permit 

requirement under the CWA thus provides the local monitoring that 

FIFRA does not.46 (Emphasis supplied) 

 

46 Headwaters, Inc. v. Talent Irrigation Dist., 243 F.3d 526, 531 (9th Cir. 2001). 

18
In conclusion, numerous studies, including those of EPA, have established the substantial 

presence, and therefore the serious threat, of triclosan to human health and the 

environment through the means of pollution of the nation’s navigable waters. EPA’s 

failures in this regard, in Petitioners’ view are “arbitrary, capricious” and “otherwise not 

in accordance with law.”47 Therefore, the Administrator should use her authority under 

the act to evaluate these health and environmental effects thoroughly and act decisively, 

based on the abundance of scientific evidence and the express requirements of the CWA, 

to require proper regulation of triclosan. She should use her authority to impose 

technology-based effluent limitations, health-based toxic pollutant water quality 

pretreatment requirements, and biosolids regulation. 

 Safe Drinking Water Act

1. Objectives, Structure and Relevant Legal Provisions 

 The Safe Drinking Water Act48 (SDWA) authorizes the United States 

Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to set national health-based standards for 

drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants 

that may be found in drinking water. US EPA, states, and water systems then work 

together to make sure that these standards are met. EPA sets a health goal based on risk 

(including risks to the most sensitive people, such as infants, children, pregnant women, 

the elderly, and the immuno-compromised). EPA then sets a legal limit for the 

contaminant in drinking water or a required treatment technique. This limit or treatment 

technique is set to be as close to the health goal as feasible. 

 The Administrator has numerous powers under the SDWA to regulate against the 

 

47 5 U.S.C. § 506(2)(a). . 

48 42 U.S.C. § 300f-300j-26. 

19
health and environmental threats sought to be avoided under that statute. These powers 

include: listing and regulation of a contaminant under National Primary Drinking Water 

Regulations; notice to state and public water system; issuance of administrative order; 

civil action; and enforcement in nonprimacy states.49

2. Violations of Law and Requested Relief 

 In the same manner as is true with the CWA, EPA’s reregistration decision setsthe 

stage for a violation of SDWA, in that triclosan would be allowed to contaminate 

drinking water at levels that threaten human health and the environment. For this reason, 

Petitioners request that the Administrator conduct a comprehensive assessment of the 

appropriateness of regulating triclosan under the SDWA.

C. Endangered Species Act

1. Objectives, Structure and Relevant Legal Provisions 

The Endangered Species Act50 (ESA) provides a program for the conservation of 

threatened and endangered plants and animals (species) and their habitats. Under ESA, 

federal agencies are prohibited from authorizing, funding, or carrying out activities that 

are likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any listed species or result in the 

destruction or adverse modification of their designated critical habitats. The law also 

prohibits any action that causes a "taking" of any listed species of endangered fish or 

wildlife. 

 The ESA confers certain mandates and authorities upon the Administrator, in aid 

of protection for threatened and endangered species and their habitats. These include: 

 

49 42 U.S.C. § 300g-3(a)-(b). 

50 7 U.S.C. §136; 16 U.S.C. §460 et seq. 

20
consultation with the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce51 and 

preparation of a Biological Assessment.52 

 2. Violations of Law and Requested Relief 

Because triclosan is present in the larger environment, EPA’s registration of that 

substances creates potential jeopardy for listed threatened and endangered species and 

may destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitats. This presence has been 

abundantly demonstrated throughout this Petition. Accordingly, Petitioners request that 

the Administrator comply fully with the ESA, including the consultation and biological 

assessment requirements. Petitioners note, in this regard, that notwithstanding FIFRA’s 

primary rule in regulating pesticides, courts have held that EPA must comply with ESA 

in its administration of FIFRA.53

II. Statement of Scientific Grounds 

A. The Ubiquity of Triclosan Results in Endocrine Disruption 

In its RED, EPA admits that it retained its current endpoints notwithstanding that 

it is aware of recent research conducted by its Office of Research and Development on 

the effects of triclosan on thyroid homeostasis in the rat. EPA determined, however, that 

“further investigation is needed on the effects of triclosan on the thyroid”54 before 

inclusion of this endpoint. Thus, EPA declined to require full and rigorous assessment of 

this significant health threat even though it acknowledges that there exists “some 

evidence that triclosan disrupts thyroid hormone homeostasis and interacts with the 

 

51 16 U.S.C. § 1536(a). 

52 16 U.S.C. § 1536(c). 

53 See, Defenders of Wildlife v. EPA, 882 F.2d 1294 (8th Cir. 1989). 54 EPA RED, p. 13. 

21
androgen and estrogen receptors.”55 As the discussion below demonstrates, there exists 

considerable evidence of these effects, and, further, that evidence continues to mount. 

Indeed, research conducted and recently published by EPA scientists demonstrates that 

triclosan interferes with circulating levels of thyroid and testosterone hormone levels in 

male juvenile rodents.56 Further, EPA was recently advised by the National Research 

Council to consider the cumulative effects of chemicals with similar toxicological 

outcomes, including neurodevelopmental toxins.57           

Finally, in its failure to perform a proper assessment, EPA flouted a 

Congressional determination that endocrine disruption is a serious health threat that 

merits proper evaluation of substances that can potentially cause that phenomenon. That 

is, in the Food Quality Protection Act amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and 

Cosmetics Act (FFDCA), EPA was required to establish an Endocrine Disruptor 

Screening Program58 (EDSP). Yet, establishment of the EDSP has not been completed, 

and thus the RED process did not have the benefit of its potential for promoting more 

complete and accurate assessment of this important threat to human health.    

General Endocrine Disruption 

Triclosan has been demonstrated to bioaccumulate and have endocrine effects in 

 

55 EPA RED, p. 35. 

56 Crofton, KM; Paul, KB; DeVito, MJ; Hedge, JM. Short-term in vivo exposure to the water contaminant 

triclosan: Evidence for disruption of thyroxine. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2007. 24: 194–197, and 

Zorrilla LM, Gibson EK, Jeffay SC, Crofton KM, Setzer WR, Cooper RL, Stoker TE. The effects of 

triclosan on puberty and thyroid hormones in male Wistar rats. Toxicol Sci. 2009 Jan;107(1):56-64. Epub 

2008 Oct. 21. 

57 National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. Phthalates and Cumulative Risk 

Assessment The Task Ahead, 2008. National Academies Press. Washington, D.C.

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12528 58 FFDCA §408(p)(1), 7 U.S.C. §346a(p)(1). 

22
amphibians and fish.59 Notable in the research is its structural similarity to thyroid 

hormones. This similarity, along with evidence of human exposures, “ have increased 

concern about the possible endocrine disrupting effects of triclosan.”60 

 Recent studies have shown that triclosan can alter endocrine function in a variety 

of species. For example, one study sought to determine the effects of triclosan on pubertal 

development and thyroid hormone concentrations in the male Wistar rat. While the study 

demonstrated that triclosan exposure does not alter androgen-dependent tissue weights or 

onset of preputial separation, the study did determine that triclosan exposure significantly 

impacts thyroid hormone concentrations in male juvenile rats.61 

 The protocol for the study employed the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program 

(EDSP) male pubertal protocol, administering triclosan daily by oral gravage until 

necropsy.62 The study clearly demonstrated that triclosan exposure in the juvenile male 

rat suppresses total serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations significantly and in a dosedependent manner, leading the researchers to conclude: 

 Because triclosan is present in such a variety of personal care and household 

products, in the ecosystem, and in human body fluids, there is a serious concern for 

 

59Tatarzako, N., H. Ishibashi, K. Teshima, K. Kishi, and K. Arizono, Effects of Triclosan on Various 

Acquatic Organisms, Environmental Sciences 11(2), 133-40, (2004). 

; Foran, C. M., Bennett, E. R., and Benson, W. H., Developmental Evaluation of a Potential Non-Steroidal 

Estrogen: Triclosan, Mar. Environ. Res. 50, 153-56 (2000); Ishibashi, H., Matsumura, N., Hirano, M., 

Matsuoka, M., Shiratsuchi, H., Ishibashi, Y., Takao, Y., and Arizono, K. , Effects of Triclosan on the Early 

Life Stages and Reproduction of Medaka Oryzias Latipes and Induction of Hepatic Vitellogenin, Acquat. 

Toxicol. (Amst.) 67, 167-79 (2004); Veldhoen, N., Skirrow, R.C., Osachoff, H., Wigmore, H., Clapson, 

D.J., Gunderson, M. P., Van Aggelen, G., and Hebing, C.C., The Bactericidal Agent Triclosan Modulates 

Thyroid Hormon-Associated Gene Expression and Disrupts Postembryonic Anuran Development, Acquat. 

Toxicol. 80, 217-27 (2006). 

60 Kevin M. Crofton, Katie B. Paul, Michael J. DeVito, Joan M. Hedge, Short-term in vivo Exposure to the 

Water Contaminant Triclosan: Evidence for disruption of Thyroxinel Environmental Toxicology and 

Pharmacology 24, 194-97 (2007). 

61 Leah M. Zorrilla, Emily K. Gibson, Susan C. Jeffay, Kevin M. Crofton, Woodrow R. Setzer, Ralph L. 

Cooper, and Tammy E. Stoker, The effects of Triclosan on Puberty and Thyroid Hormones in Male Wistar 

Rats, Toxicological Sciences 107(1) 56-64 (2009). 62 Id. at 57. 

23
adverse effects on human health. Although interspecies differences exist, effects on the 

thyroid of this magnitude, particularly T4, should be carefully evaluated due to thyroid 

hormone status of pregnant women on the future neuropsychological development of the 

child.63 

 Another similar study, conducted by a research group that included three 

scientists from the EPA Office of Research and Development, performed experiments 

that “clearly demonstrate ... that triclosan decreases circulating concentrations of T4

[thyroxine] in rats.”64 These findings were deemed sufficiently strong that the researchers 

called for future research into triclosan’s effects on thyroid homeostasis and the relevance 

to humans.65

Breast Cancer 

Another important research area concerns the relation between triclosan usage and 

endocrine disruption leading to breast cancer. The breast is an endocrine-sensitive organ. 

So, in a modern environment of exposure to numerous endocrine-disrupting chemicals, it 

should not be a mystery that “disorders of the breast have become so widespread and that 

cancer in this organ has become the major cancer of women in the Western world.”66 

Indeed, although diet, smoking, alcohol and radiation have been identified as risk factors, 

“the main influence in the development of breast cancer remains lifetime exposure to 

 

63 Id. at 61-62. 64 Kevin M. Crofton, Katie B. Paul, Michael J. DeVito, Joan M. Hedge, Short-term in vivo Exposure to the 

Water Contaminant Triclosan: Evidence for Disruption of Thyroxine, Environmental Toxicology and 

Pharmacology 24, 194-97 (2007). 

65 Id. at 196. 66 P.D. Darbre, Environmental Oestrogens, Cosmetics, and Breast Cancer, Best Practice & Research 

Chemical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 20, No.1, pp. 121-43, at 122 (2006). 

24
oestrogen.”67 Cancer is caused by genetic changes in somatic cells of the breast that 

result in the loss of growth control in the affected cells. 

 

 The potential for breast cancer as a result of regular, direct application of xenooestrogens to the breast area has been the subject of significant research. Researchers 

have noted the rapidly-increasing, widespread use of cosmetics, some of which are 

applied around the breast, including underarm antiperspirant/deodorant products, body 

lotions, body sprays, moisturizing creams, tanning creams and suncare products. Further, 

many of these cosmetics are not rinsed off, as are shampoos or soaps, but are left on the 

skin so that accumulation, absorption through the dermis, and entry of the cosmetics into 

the tissues are considerably more likely.68 Triclosan is known to be one of the substances 

in cosmetics that alter cell DNA and interfere with normal growth regulatory pathways 

(including oestrogen action).69 Petitioners note that while approval and regulation of 

many of these triclosan applications comes within the ambit of the FDA, it is the 

cumulative impact of triclosan in the body (whatever the source and whatever the 

regulatory scheme) that poses these dangers. 

67 Id. See also, Lipworth, L., Epidemiology of Breast Cancer, European journal of Cancer Prevention 4, 

7-30 (1995); Key, T.J, Verkasalo, P.K. U Banks, E., Epidemiology of Breast Cancer, The Lancet Oncology 

2, 133-40 (2001)., 68 Darbre, Environmental Oestrogens, Cosmetics, and Breast Cancer, at 127. 69 Ciniglia, C., Cascone, C., Giudice, R.L. et al., Application of Methods for Assessing the Geno- and 

Cytotoxicity of Triclosan to C. ehrenbergii, Journal of Hazardous Materials 122, 227-32 (2005); AdolfssonErici, M., Pettersson, M., Parkkonen, J., and Sturve, J. , Triclosan, a Commonly Used Bactericide Found in 

Human Milk and in the Acquatic Environment in Sweden, Chemospere 46, 1485-89 (2002). 

25
B. The Ubiquity of Triclosan Contributes to Bacterial Resistance in 

Antibiotic Medications and Antibacterial Cleansers 

“The major driving force for development of resistance in bacteria to 

antimicrobial agents ... is the use of antimicrobials themselves.”70 In the specific instance 

of triclosan, numerous recent studies provide substantial evidence that it promotes 

bacterial resistance to both antibiotic medications and antibacterial cleansers. This, of 

course, renders the antibiotics and the antibacterials ineffective for their intended use. 

Necessarily, users of the medications and cleansers are completely unaware of this nonfunctionality and are simply vulnerable to whatever consequences may ensue. At a 

minimum, they will have paid for a useless product. But in other instances, they may be 

left wide open to significant health risks. 

Bacterial resistance may occur through mutation of the gene constitutions or the 

uptake of new genetic elements through horizontal gene transfer. Such resistance may 

cause multiple threats, since widespread use of the triclosan may not only result in 

bacteria that are resistant to triclosan but may also create resistance to other, including 

unrelated, antimicrobials and antibiotics (cross-resistance or co-resistance). 

Further, while some have argued that the high concentration of triclosan found in 

articles like soap (for example, 2,500 μg/ml) is sufficient to kill even resistant bacterial 

strains, research has shown this is not necessarily true. One study examined triclosan 

activity in a commercial soap. Achievement of a 90% death rate in wild-type E. coli 

required exposure to 150 μg/ml of triclosan in soap for 2 hours at 37° C. Obviously, the 

 

70 Siamak P. Yazdankhah, Anne A. Scheie, E. Arne Høiby, Bjørn-Tore Lunestad, Even Heir, Tor Øystein 

Fotland, Kristine Naterstad, and Hilde Kruse, Triclosan and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria: An 

Overview, Microbial Drug Resistance, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2006, at 83. 

26
time, temperature and amount of the substance needed in the study far exceeded that for 

the average hand washing.71 

 Even in instances where triclosan may effectively inhibit bacteria in its principal 

application, potential problems still exist. The problem, particularly in triclosancontaining consumer products, is residues. These products usually leave residues (on 

kitchen and bathroom floors, countertops and other surfaces) and these residues will 

typically be diluted (in comparison to the product itself). At these “sublethal” 

concentrations, the residues can no longer inhibit or destroy bacterial action. In a similar 

vein, toothpastes often contain agents designed to increase the retention and effect of 

triclosan, promoting a more prolonged (but gradually decreasing) effect on the 

microflora. Important here is the fact that studies have shown that “at sublethal 

concentrations, triclosan inhibits a specific bacterial target, and several mechanisms of 

resistance to triclosan have been demonstrated.”72

The problem, therefore, is the widespread use of triclosan—whatever the source 

and whatever agency has regulatory authority—giving rise to increased and cumulative

exposure. And this should be distinguished from the more restricted, knowledgeable and 

careful use of it by medical professionals.73 Just a few years ago, “only a few dozen 

products containing antibacterial agents were being marketed for the home. Now more 

than 700 are available.”74 Triclosan’s broad-spectrum antibacterial properties have 

 

71 Steward B. Levy, Antibacterial Household Products: Cause for Concern, Conference Presentation, 

Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 7, No. 3 Supplement, June 2001, at 513. 

72 Triclosan and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria: An Overview, at 88. 73 Siamak P. Yazdankhah, Anne A. Scheie, E. Arne Høiby, Bjørn-Tore Lunestad, Even Heir, Tor Øystein 

Fotland, Kristine Naterstad, and Hilde Kruse, Triclosan and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria: An 

Overview, Microbial Drug Resistance, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2006. 74 Antibacterial Household Products: Cause for Concern, at 512. 

27
caused it to be utilized in an increasingly diverse and extensive range of uses. The 

implications of this broad, rapid increase for public health, however, are important: 

 

There is a link between antibiotic and antibacterial resistance. Overuse or 

improper usage of antibacterials in the home can potentially enhance the 

selection process for resistance to these [antibacterial] products and to 

antibiotics.75 

 While ordinary, healthy adults are indeed at risk because of triclosan-induced 

bacterial resistance, certain subpopulations are particularly vulnerable. These 

subpopulations include persons with impaired immune systems, infants and young 

children, and persons needing the benefit of antibiotics. One steadily rising and 

increasingly vulnerable subpopulation is that of persons recently returning home from 

hospitals and health care facilities who must continue to take antibiotics. It is well known 

that today hospital stays have become much shorter, both to lower hospital costs and to 

protect patients from problems such as nosocomial inflections.76 Patients returning home 

who continue to take antibiotics enter an environment rife with antimicrobial and other 

products containing triclosan. Hence, the danger of the antibiotics being rendered 

ineffective could be dangerously high.77

EPA’s RED states that there is currently “some research attempting to 

demonstrate a connection between antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic resistance in 

regard to triclosan, but the linkage has not been expressly proven.”78 But to the contrary, 

as discussed above, several peer-reviewed studies highlighting the concerns many 

75 Stuart B. Levy, Antibiotic and Antiseptic Resistance: Impact on Public Health, Pediatric Infectious 

Disease Journal, Vol. 19, No. 10, Oct. 2000, at S121. 

76 Id. 77 Id. 78 EPA RED, p. 40. 

28
scientists have with regard to triclosan’s role in antibacterial resistance. 

 In spite of important research findings such as those described above, EPA chose 

to take an approach directly contrary to the precautionary principle. Thus, the agency 

requires that the connection between antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic resistance be 

“expressly proven,”79 rather than taking action based on what is substantial and credible 

evidence of such a connection. Further, the serious nature of the threat posed in this area 

by triclosan merits more than having the agency merely “look into the issue,” or 

participate in the work of the Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance80

(Task Force). EPA even admits that “none of the goals [of the Task Force] are associated 

with a specific active ingredient.”81

C. Triclosan is Bioaccumulative and Poses an Immense Body Burden.

Because of its widespread usage and its properties, triclosan can be found in 

blood,82 urine,83 and breast milk84 in people around the world. And while consumers of 

triclosan-containing products retain the highest levels of the substance, even persons not 

using those products are vulnerable to exposure through food, water, and even household 

dust.85 Indeed, one study, conducted by scientists at the Center for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), found triclosan in 75 percent of the U.S. general population [a study 

of 2.517 urine samples using the NHANES method] and took particular note that the 

 

79 EPA RED, p. 40. 

80 Id. 81 Id. 82 Allmyr, M. F. Harden, L.L. Toms, et al., The Influence of Age and Gender on Triclosan Concentrations 

in Australian Human Blood Serum, Science of the Total Environment 393, 162-67 (2008). 83 Calafat, A.M, X Ye, L.Y. Wong et al., Urinary Concentrations of Triclosan in the U.S. Population: 

2003-2004, Environmental Health Perspectives 116(3), 303-07 (2008). 84 Allymyr, Mats et al., Triclosan in Plasma and Milk from Swedish Nursing Mothers and Their Exposure 

Via Personal Care Products, Sci. Total Environ. 372(1), 87-93 (2006). 85 Canosa, P., I Rodriguez, E. Rubi, and R. Cela, Determination of Parabens and Triclosan in Indoor Dust 

Using Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion and Gas Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry, 

Analytical Chemistry 79(4), 1675-81 (2007). 

29
“high frequency of detection is most likely with daily use by the U.S. general population 

of [triclosan-containing] consumer products.”86 As described throughout this Petition, 

given the dangers of each individual source of triclosan, the notion of a cumulative effect 

from all sources of this lipophilic (bioaccumulative in fatty tissues) substance truly makes 

clear the gravity of the health threat and the dire need for action. 

EPA used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

(NHANES)87 to determine population exposures to triclosan in its RED risk assessment. 

Petitioners take the position that NHANES data are useful only as a supplement to the 

risk assessment process. It is commendable that EPA has become receptive to using 

improved methods for carrying out its responsibilities with the use of real-world data. But 

NHANES data on triclosan exposure, standing alone, are insufficient to adequately 

determine human risk. Petitioners’ EPA Comments made the following significant points 

about NHANES methodology and capacity: 

• Urine Testing is Inadequate Because Triclosan Accumulates in Fatty 

Tissue 

o Measurements of triclosan under NHANES are based on 

concentrations in spot urine samples.88 Urine is not the appropriate 

fluid to quantitatively assess triclosan exposure, though it does 

provide useful qualitative information on population exposure to 

triclosan. 

 

86 Calafat, A.M, X Ye, L.Y. Wong et al., Urinary Concentrations of Triclosan in the U.S. Population: 

2003-2004, Environmental Health Perspectives 116(3), 303-07 (2008); CDC. Fourth National Report on 

Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.Department of Health and Human Services Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (2009) 87 NHANES data for triclosan can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm. 88 Risk Assessment, p. 27. See also, Calafat, A.M, X Ye, L.Y. Wong et al., Urinary Concentrations of 

Triclosan in the U.S. Population: 2003-2004, Environmental Health Perspectives 116(3), 303-07 (2008). 

30
o Quantitative estimates require more detailed testing, including 

testing using breast milk, blood, and fat tissue sampling.

• The Rapidly Growing List of Uses for Triclosan Renders the 2003-2004 

NHANES Data Inadequate as a Basis for a Useful Assessment 

o The current RED document is based on exposure information 

captured from the NHANES 2003-2004 data set. These data are 

simply unable to estimate the risk associated with the ever growing 

use of hundreds of triclosan-containing consumer products that 

have entered the market since 2003. 

• Food Contamination Must be Assessed by EPA

o EPA’s RED and its Dietary Risk Assessment for Triclosan for the 

RED Process89 (Dietary Risk Assessment) concluded that “[n]one 

of the indirect food contact scenarios appear [sic] to exceed [the] 

Agency’s level of concern.”90

o EPA acknowledges, however, that “[e]xposures can occur where 

there is the possibility of indirect food migration (including 

paper/pulp use, use in ice-making equipment, adhesives, cutting 

boards, counter tops, and conveyer belts).”91 

o Yet, EPA admits that “no residue chemistry data based on [agency 

guidelines] were submitted nor was it requested.”92

 

89 EPA’s Dietary Risk Assessment for Triclosan for the RED Process, August 11, 2008(Dietary Risk 

Assessment). 

90 Dietary Risk Assessment. (unpaginated) 

91 EPA RED, p. 15. 92 Dietary Risk Assessment. 

31
o Petitioners believe that failure to perform a dietary risk assessment 

on triclosan- contaminated fish and shellfish ignores the evidence 

that triclosan is indeed readily absorbed via the human 

gastrointestinal tract and that this route of exposure could impact 

overall risk.93 NHANES may capture many triclosan use patterns, 

but a complete evaluation of dietary risk from food and drinking 

water indirectly contaminated by triclosan is necessary. 

• Total Reliance on NHANES Misses Health Impact on Users 

o NHANES does not specifically enable the evaluation of triclosan 

exposure and resulting residues in the body for those who use 

triclosan or triclosan-treated products. It instead identifies exposure 

to the general population, among a mixture of users and nonusers. 

Reliance solely on NHANES for the agency’s exposure 

assessment, therefore, provides inadequate protection of triclosan 

users. 

1. Infants and Children Are Especially Vulnerable to Triclosan Reliance 

Many parents are misled into thinking that antibacterial products are better to 

protect their children against germs and bacteria. However, children are especially put at 

risk when they are exposed to antibacterial toothpaste, soaps, baby creams, hand 

sanitizers and wipes that leave triclosan residues on their skin. This is especially so for 

products coming into contact with their hands, as this could ultimately result in oral 

exposures to the chemical as a direct result of hand –to-mouth activity. Babies' skin is 

 

93 Sandborgh-Englund et al. 2006. Pharmacokinetics of triclosan following oral ingestion in humans. J. 

Tox. and Environ. Health. Part A 69:1861-1873 

32
also more permeable than an adult's,94 leading to increased dermal absorption. As 

previously mentioned, triclosan is also found in breast milk and accumulates in the 

human body, directly exposing babies pre- and post-natal to concentrations of triclosan. 

Studies have shown that children face unique hazards from chemical exposure.95

They take in more chemical relative to their body weight than adults from the products to 

which they are exposed. Their developing organ systems often make them more sensitive 

to toxic exposure. The body of evidence in scientific literature shows that chemical 

exposure can adversely affect a child's neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine 

system, even at low levels.96

2. Triclosan Poses Health Risks for Health Care Professionals 

Triclosan even poses threats to health care professionals. In a 2009 report, 

Physicians for Social Responsibility announced the results of a study demonstrating that 

“health care professionals are exposed—through the workplace or in their personal 

lives—to a wide range of chemicals [including triclosan] known or suspected to cause 

health problems.”97 Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care discussed the body burden and 

other threats posed by triclosan and concluded with several recommendations designed to 

protect health care professionals and the public.98

 

94 Silver, L. 2007. Baby Care Products. Prevention and Practice. Learning and Developmental Disabilities 

Initiative. Institute for Children’s Environmental Health (ICEH). 95 US EPA, Office of the Administrator, Environmental Health Threats to Children, EPA 175-F-96-001, 

September 1996. See also: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm. 96 Weiss, B., et al. 2004 April. “Pesticides,” Pediatrics 113(4): 1030-1036; National Research Council. 

2000. Scientific frontiers in developmental toxicology and risk assessment. Washington, DC: National 

Academy Press; Physicians for Social Responsibility, The National Environmental Trust, and the Learning 

Disabilities Association of America. 2000. Polluting our future: Chemical pollution in the U.S. that affects 

child development and learning. http://www.net.org/health/tri_report. pdf (accessed 6/2/05). 97 Report: Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care, Physicians for Social Responsibility, p. 23, October 9, 

2009. (also available at http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/hazardous-chemicals-in-health-care.pdf). 98 Id. at 22,-24 26-30. 

33
3. Triclosan Usage Poses Health Risks for the Skin Because of its 

Toxicity 

 

Numerous studies attest to the problems triclosan can cause for the skin. Reports 

observe such problems as dermatitis, or skin irritation,99 photoallergic contact 

dermatitis,100 eczematous rash, and even immunotoxic and neurotoxic reactions to the 

substance.101

D. Triclosan is Not Completely Removed from Wastewater and Sludge, Which 

May Result in Food Contamination 

Triclosan products eventually enter the larger environment through wastewater 

and otherwise, and then adversely affect human, animal and other environmental 

resources. Because 95% of triclosan use is in consumer products that are disposed of 

down residential drains, sewage and wastewater provide a prime medium of triclosan 

entry into the larger environment. As explained below, even where it does reach 

wastewater treatment plants (as some runoff from both residential and commercial sites 

streams directly into the environment), triclosan still may re-enter the environment and 

pose health threats. 

A major source of triclosan in waterways is sewage sludge. Triclosan accumulates 

in sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatments.102 The sewage sludge is spread 

on land, and triclosan leaches down through the soil and runs off into surface water from 

 

99 Strer, E., K.J. Koh, and L. Warren, Severe Contact Dermatitis as a Result of an Antiseptic Bath Oil, 

Australasian Journal of Dermatology 45(1), 73-75 (2004). 

100 Durbize, E., M. Vigan, E. Puzenat, et al., Spectrum of Cross-photosensitization in 18 Consecutive 

Patients with contact Photoallergy to Keptoprofen: Associated Photoallergies to Non-benzophenonecontaining Microbes, Contact Dermatitis 48(3), 144-49 (2003). 101 Stafford, J., Germ Warfare, Voices, Health and Fiction, C2-C3 (May 5, 1997). 102 Heidler, J and RU Halden, Mass Balance Assessment of Triclosan Removal During Conventional 

Sewage Treatment, Chemosphere 66: 362-69, (2007) 

34
the fields.103 Triclosan has been shown to persist in the runoff from treated fields for as 

long as 266 days after biosolid application and to persist in the sediment for long periods 

of time.104 EPA, in its Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey Report, presented the 

results of certain studies, specifically, the Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey 

Sampling and Analysis Technical Report ("Technical Report"), and the Targeted 

National Sewage Sludge Survey Statistical Analysis Report ("Statistical Report"). 

Triclosan was detected in 79 of a total of 84 sludge samples used in the survey, and both 

its minimum and maximum observed dry-weight concentrations were significant.105

Wastewater, in fact, is “the principal pathway of [triclosan] contamination” in estuarine 

sediments.106 As discussed below, the health and environmental implications of these 

characteristics are significant. 

The EPA RED acknowledged that “triclosan has been detected in natural 

waterways,” and thus it was “prudent to conduct a qualitative risk assessment using 

surface water monitoring data.”107 Therefore, the agency conducted an assessment using 

various studies and methods, including a Tier 1, Down-the-Drain (DTD) module and a 

Probabilistic Dilution Model (PDM). In doing so, EPA found that “triclosan may be 

susceptible to biodegradation based on the presence of methyl-triclosan following 

 

103 Lapen, D.R., E. Topp, C.D. Metcalfe, et al., Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Tile 

Drainage Following Land Application of Municipal Biosolids, Science of the Total Environment, 2008. 

Topp, E., S.C. Monteiro, A. Beck, et al., Runoff of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products Following 

Application of Biosolids to an Agricultural Field, Science of the Total Environment, 296: 52-59, 2008. 104 Topp, et al. Wilson, B., J. Zhu, M. Canwell, and C.R. Olsen, Short-Term Dynamics and Retention of 

Triclosan in the Lower Hudson River Estuary, Marine Pollution Bulletin (2008). 105 See, Technical Report, Table 12, p 41.. 106 Todd R. Miller, Jochen Heidler, Steven N. Chillrud, Amelia DeLaquil, Jerry C. Ritchie, Jana N. 

Milhalic, Richard Bopp, and Rolf U. Halden, Fate of Triclosan and Evidence for Reductive Dechlorination 

of Triclocarban in Estuarine Sediments, Environ. Sci. Technol. 42(12), 4570-4576, 2008. 107 EPA RED, p. 28. 

35
wastewater treatment.”108 Interestingly, for a number of areas of health and 

environmental impacts, EPA reached no ultimate conclusion. Rather it shifted the 

responsibility for (and the control over) to applicants for reregistration at a later date: 

At this time this testing is not required for triclosan, but is dependent upon 

the results of environmental modeling and monitoring which are required 

to support reregistration of triclosan.109

 In this regard, it is noteworthy that on October 8, 2008, EPA proposed revisions 

to its data requirements for antimicrobial pesticides under FIFRA, in conjunction with its 

wider effort to update and streamline its data requirements for all pesticides.110 Among 

the new requirements are certain ones intended for use in a screening-level assessment on 

the fate of antimicrobials with the potential to reach a wastewater treatment plant. These 

products would include “down-the-drain” products as well as microbiocides used in 

industrial process and water systems. The proposal has been viewed favorably by many 

concerned agencies.111

 In other areas, EPA admitted to considerable uncertainty about ecological 

exposure and risk.112 Petitioners submit that these scenarios call out for application of the 

precautionary principle. That is, in the face of credible evidence of health and 

environmental threats, a regulatory agency must not allow continued use of a suspect 

substance until scientific study and evidence clearly demonstrate the safety of that 

substance. 

 

108 Id. at 29. 109 Id. at 

110 Data Requirements for Antimicrobia Pesticides. 73 Fed. Reg. 59382 (Oct. 8, 2008). 111 See, e.g., Comments of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the California Association of 

Sanitation Agencies, and the San Francisco Department of the Environment. 

112 EPA RED at 31-33. 

36
A study by researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, using five newly 

developed analytical methods, sought to measure concentrations of 95 organic 

wastewater contaminants (OWCs). The study took water samples from a network of 139 

streams across 30 states during 1999 and 2000.113 Sampling site selection was biased in 

favor of streams susceptible to contamination, such as waters downstream of intense 

urbanization and livestock production. Results revealed that triclosan was one of the 30 

most frequently detected OWCs.114 The researchers observed: 

Surprisingly, little is known about the extent of environmental 

occurrence, transport, and ultimate fate of many synthetic organic 

chemicals after their intended use, particularly hormonally active 

chemicals, personal care products and [certain] pharmaceuticals.115 

 Subsequently, researchers have expanded the base of knowledge about triclosan’s 

presence and impact in the environment. One study evaluated a full-scale activated 

sludge facility (one representative of most U.S. plants) to determine its effectiveness in 

controlling triclosan. The study concluded that “the beneficial reuse of digested 

municipal sludge as agricultural fertilizer represents a mechanism for the reintroduction 

of substantial amounts of TCS [triclosan] into the environment.”116 Thus, not only is 

triclosan present in the environment initially, but it remains in the environment even after 

the wastewater treatment process. 

 

113 Dana W. Kolpin, Edward T. Furlong, Michael T. Meyer, E. Michael Thurman, Steven D. Zaugg, Larry 

B. Barber, Herbert T. Buxton, Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants 

in U.S. Streams, 1999-2000: A National Reconnaissance, Environ. Sci. Tech. 36, 1202-1211, at 1202, 

(2002). 

114 Id. at 1207 (Fig. 2), 1208. 115 Id. 116 Jochen Heidler, Rolf U. Halden, Mass Balance Assessment of Triclosan Removal During Conventional 

Sewage Treatment, Chemosphere 66, 362-369, at 368, (2007). 

37
 A study of triclosan in Swiss water bodies found high concentrations of the 

substances in several lakes and rivers, as well as lower levels of methyl triclosan, a byproduct. (Methyl triclosan is more lipophilic than triclosan and is thus more 

bioaccumulative.117) Generally, therefore, triclosan is present in a large number of 

waterways, and thus humans and animals are vulnerable to its effects. Accordingly, there 

are numerous potential adverse impacts. 

E. EPA Failed to Address Major Degradates 

As the following discussion shows, EPA has failed to address adequately the 

subject of the health and environmental threats posed by major degradates of triclosan. 

Dioxins are highly carcinogenic that can cause immune system compromise, 

decreased fertility, altered sex hormones, miscarriage, birth defects, and cancer. It can be 

present or be formed in many ways, including as a synthesis impurity of triclosan118

during the manufacture of many products, and upon the incineration of triclosan.119

Researchers who added triclosan to river water and shined ultraviolet light on the water 

found that between one and twelve percent of the triclosan was converted to dioxide in 

the water. This suggests that sunlight could transform triclosan into dioxin naturally.120

Further, triclosan-tainted water at water treatment plants pose the danger of sunlight 

converting chlorinated triclosan into highly toxic forms of dioxins. Yet another potential 

 

117 Anton Lindstrom, Ignaz J. Buerge, Thomas Poiger, Per-Anders BergqVist, Markus D. Müller, and Hans 

Rudolf Buser, Occurrence and Environmental Behavior of the Bactericide Triclosan and its Methyl 

Derivative in Surface Waters and in Wastewater, Environ. Sci. Technol. 36, 2322-2329 (2002). 118 Menoutis, J. and A.I. Parisi, Triclosan and its impurities, Triclosan Review Series, Quantex 

Laboratories, Inc., available at http://www.quantexlabs.com/triclosan.htm. 119 Kanetoshi, A., H. Ogawa, E. Katsura, H. Kaneshima, and T. Miura, Formation of Polychlorinated 

Dibenzo-p-dioxins Upon Combustion of Commercial Textile Products Containing 2,4,4-Trichloro2 

Hyroxydiphenyl Ether, Journal of Chromatography A 454, 145-55 (1988). 120 Latch, D.E., J.L. Packer, W.A. Arnolda, and K. McNeill, Photochemical Conversion of Triclosan to 2,8-

Dichlorodibenzo-p- in acqueous solution, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 158 

(1), 63-66 (2000). 

38
danger is that exposure of sunlight to solid-state triclosan, such as on commercial textile 

products, causes formation of small amounts of dioxin.121

 A study by researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 

found that triclosan reacts with free chlorine in tap water to form a number of chlorinated 

triclosan intermediates, including 2,4 dichlorophenol, which photochemically generates 

highly chlorinated dioxins. These are some of the most toxic forms of dioxin. Those 

researchers found that these chlorinated intermediates can be formed in kitchen sinks 

simply by using dishwashing liquid containing triclosan.122 Additionally, it should be 

noted that degradate 2,4 dichlorophenol is a noted CWA priority pollutant, as well as a 

potential endocrine disruptor. 

 Some of the same studies concluding that triclosan reacts with tap water under 

dishwashing conditions to form dioxins also found that this combination also produces 

significant quantities of chloroform gas.123 Chloroform has been classified as a probable 

human carcinogen.124 

F. Triclosan is Highly Toxic to Various Forms of Algae and This Can 

Cause Ecological Damage 

Triclosan can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. Triclosan has been 

found to be highly toxic to different types of algae.125 Triclosan effluents affect both the 

 

121 Kanetoshi, A., H. Ogawa, E. Katsura, H. Kaneshima, and T. Miura, Formation of Polychlorinated 

Dibenzo-p-dioxins Upon Combustion of Commercial Textile Products Containing 2,4,4-Trichloro2 

Hyroxydiphenyl Ether, Journal of Chromatography A 454, 145-55 (1988). 122 Rule, K.L., V.R. Ebbett, and PlJ. Vikesland, Formation of Chloroform and Chlorinated Organics by 

Free-Chlorine-Mediated Oxidation of Triclosan, Environ. Sci. Technol., April 2, 2005. 123 Ibid. 124 EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential, updated 

July 19, 2004. 

125 Tatarzako, N., H. Ishibashi, K. Teshima, K. Kishi, and K. Arizono, Effects of Triclosan on Various 

Acquatic Organisms, Environmental Sciences 11(2), 133-40, (2004). 

39
structure and the function of algal communities in stream ecosystems.126 Because algae 

are the first-step producers in aquatic ecosystems, high levels of triclosan discharged into 

the environment may cause widespread negative consequences, including “the possible 

destruction of the balance of the ecosystem.”127 The risks are especially high immediately 

downstream from wastewater treatment plants.128

 Because of its lipophilic nature and resistance to degradation, triclosan in 

waterways is readily available for absorption and bioaccumulation by aquatic organisms 

in the environment.129 Researchers in Sweden found high levels of triclosan were present 

in the bile of fish that were placed in cages downstream of sewage treatment works in 

Sweden.130 Methyl triclosan, a transformation product of triclosan, has been found in 

fish.131 Although little is known about the effects on fish, triclosan has been found to be 

highly toxic to Japanese medaka fish in their early life stages, and it may cause weak 

endocrine disruption a well.132

 The EPA RED observed that in aquatic environments, “triclosan is expected to 

absorb to [sic] suspended solids and sediments and may bioaccumulate...posing a 

 

126 Wilson, B.A., V.H. Smith, F. deNoyelles Jr., and C.K. Larive, Effects of Three Pharmaceutical and 

Personal Care Products on Natural Freshwater Algal Assemblages, Environmental Science and 

Technology 37(9), 162A-164A (2003). 

127 Tatarzako, N., H. Ishibashi, K. Teshima, K. Kishi, and K. Arizono, Effects of Triclosan on Various 

Acquatic Organisms, Environmental Sciences 11(2), 133-40, (2004). 

128 Reiss, R., N. Mackay, C. Habig, and J. Griffin, An Ecological Risk Assessment for Triclosan in Lotic 

Systems Following Discharge from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States, Environmental 

Toxicology and Chemistry 21 (11), 2483-2492 (2002). 

129 Tatarzako, N., H. Ishibashi, K. Teshima, K. Kishi, and K. Arizono, Effects of Triclosan on Various 

Acquatic Organisms, Environmental Sciences 11(2), 133-40, (2004). 

130 Ibid. 

131 Balmer, M. E., T. Poiger, C. Droz, K. Romanin, et al., Occurrence of Methyl Triclosan, a 

Transformation Product of the Bactericide Triclosan, in Fish from Various Lakes in Switzerland, 

Environmental Science and Technology 38, 390-95 (2004). 

132 Ishibashi, H., N. Matsumura, M. Hirano, M. Matsuoka, et al., Effects of Triclosan on the Early Life 

Stages and Reproduction of Medake Oryzias Latipes and Induction of Hepatic Vitellogenin, Acquatic 

Toxicology 67, 167-79 (2004).

40
concern for acquatic organisms.133 In fact, its own qualitative environmental risk 

assessment determined that levels of concern “were exceeded for aquatic plants.”134 But, 

as noted in this Petition’s discussion of wastewater treatment, EPA’s analysis was 

incomplete. In some areas, no conclusions were drawn and further testing was left to 

registrants. In other instances, EPA admitted that the studies and data were incomplete, 

but the agency declined to apply the precautionary principle.135

G. Efficacy

Petitioners assert that triclosan is “misbranded” in violation of the FFDCA 

because it fails to provide the benefits claimed on product labels, in marketing and 

advertising campaigns and in other public statements in a cost-effective, safe manner. 

 As discussed in Section II (B) of this Petition, development of bacterial resistance 

to triclosan itself from triclosan use and exposure render the substance ultimately 

ineffective for the purposes claimed. But further, numerous studies demonstrate that 

triclosan, in its initial use, confers no real added benefits to consumer users. One study 

concludes there are no added health benefits (that is, none beyond those provided by soap 

and water) for consumer use of triclosan. Said the study: 

The results of our review call into question the marketing of soaps 

containing triclosan as a product providing efficacy beyond the use of 

plain soap in the community setting ...Current findings warrant actions 

by the FDA for evaluating consumer product advertising claims.136 

 

133 RED, p. 28-29. 134 RED, p. 31. 135 See, e.g., EPA RED, pp. 30-31. 136 Aiello, A.E., E.L. Larson, and S.B. Levy, Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky?, 

Clinical Infectious Diseases 45, 137-47 (2007); Siamak P. Yazdankhah, Anne A. Scheie, E. Arne Høiby, 

Bjørn-Tore Lunestad, Even Heir, Tor Øystein Fotland, Kristine Naterstad, and Hilde Kruse, Triclosan and 

Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria: An Overview, Microbial Drug Resistance, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2006. 

41
 As early as 2000, the American Medical Association (AMA) expressed doubt 

about the efficacy of antimicrobial ingredients in consumer products. The AMA Council 

on Scientific Affairs stated that “[n]o data exist to support their efficacy when used in 

such products or any need for them.”137 Further, while lack of efficacy is important, what 

rendered this lack of evidence concerning was that “increasing data now suggest growing 

acquired resistance to these commonly used antimicrobial agents.”138 Especially for these 

reasons the AMA Council recommended that: 

• The FDA “expedite its regulation of the use in consumer products of 

antimicrobials for which acquired resistance has been demonstrated;” 

• The AMA “monitor the progress of the current FDA evaluation of the safety 

and effectiveness of antimicrobials for consumer use;” and 

• The AMA encourages “continued research” on the use of common 

antimicrobials in consumer products and its impact on the major health 

problem of antimicrobial resistance.”139

 These and other influential expressions set forth a clear and sound mandate for 

action by the EPA. 

H. Organizational Decisions Criticizing, Condemning or Rejecting 

Triclosan Usage 

As the scientific evidence against widespread triclosan usage mounts, numerous 

organizations have criticized, condemned or rejected that substance in formal and 

definitive ways. These organizations run the gamut, including governmental units, 

 

137 American Medical Association, 2000 Annual Meeting, Reports of the Council on Scientific Affairs, at 4 

(2000). 

138 Id. 139 Ibid.

42
corporate entities, research societies and professional associations. The following are 

prominent examples: 

Corporate Retreats from Triclosan 

 In March 2009, Ciba, the creator of triclosan, formally filed with the EPA a 

request for the “voluntary cancellation of the registrations for triclosan regulated by the” 

EPA.140 This request seeks to cancel the use of Ciba triclosan “as an antimicrobial for the 

protection of polymers/plastics and textiles.”141 The company decided “to pull out of 

ancillary markets such as household items.” In taking this step, the company sought to 

“differentiate Ciba triclosan products, which [it claims] are supported by an exhaustive 

database of safety research, from the proliferation of triclosan made by other 

manufacturers.”142 

 Petitioners query whether this decision to “differentiate” Ciba triclosan products 

is actually a reflection of the growing scientific evidence against many of the varied and 

pervasive uses of triclosan. After all, Ciba could well have “differentiated” those nowabandoned products through the traditional methods of marketing, advertising and 

informational campaigns about their safety and effectiveness—as it has attempted to do 

with the products it continues to produce. At a minimum, such a substantial strategic 

change143 must be viewed against the background of the growing scientific consensus 

and public concern about triclosan usage. Additionally, and necessarily, the rationale for 

 

140EPA, Notice of Receipt of Requests To Voluntarily Cancel Certain Pesticide Registrations, Docket No. 

EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0513; FRL-8410-6, Federal Register: April 22, 2009, Volume 74, Number 76. 

141 Ciba website, available at http://www.ciba.com/ind-pc-triclosan-prod-safe.htm. 142 Id. (Emphasis added) 143 See, 2008 Ciba Annual Report, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 4, Acquisitions and 

discontinued operations, available at http://www.ciba.com/2008-ciba-annualreport.pdf, observing that Ciba 

sold its Textile Effects business in 2006 and sold its Performance Polymers business in 2000. The 

transactions involved significant restructuring costs. 

43
the decision is nothing less than a serious indictment against those “other manufacturers”

to which Ciba refers. 

Decisions of Other Governmental Entities about Triclosan 

1. European Commission, Scientific Committee on Consumer Products. 

 

Petitioners query whether Ciba’s decision was influenced by a recent opinion, 

adopted just two months earlier, by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on 

Consumer Products144(SCCP Opinion). The SCCP Opinion found that “continued use of 

triclosan as a preservative at the current concentration limit of maximum 0.3% in all 

cosmetic products is not safe for the consumer because of the magnitude of the aggregate 

exposure.”145 That opinion also determined that triclosan usage of certain “leave-on 

products (e.g. body lotions) and in mouthwashes is not considered safe for the consumer 

due to the resulting high exposures.”146 

 Finally, although the SCCP Opinion did not find triclosan use unsafe, at a 

maximum concentration of 0.3%, in toothpastes, hand soaps, body soaps/shower gels and 

deodorant sticks, face powders and blemish concealers, it readily admitted a significant 

qualification to this finding: 

Importantly, before a final conclusion on the safety of triclosan in 

cosmetic products can be reached, the potential development of resistance 

144 European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Scientific Committee on 

consumer Products, Opinion on Triclosan, COLIPA No. P32, SCCP/1192/08, adoped at 19th plenary of 21 

January 2009. 

145 Id. at p. 123. 146 Id. 

44
to triclosan and cross-resistance by certain micro-organisms must be 

assessed. This aspect is not covered in this document....147

Thus, the SCCP withheld a decision on triclosan’s dangers in these areas pending 

further research on the substance’s propensity to promote bacterial resistance and crossresistance. Petitioners refer to the discussion in Section II (B) of this Petition citing the 

substantial and compelling evidence confirming the reality, and thus the threat, of such 

resistance. 

2. California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 

Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 

The Ciba decision might also reflect certain deliberations on the dangers of 

triclosan usage by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of 

Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). In March, 2009, OEHHA included 

triclosan among 38 chemicals to be reviewed by the state Carcinogen Identification 

Committee (CIC) for potential “listing” under the California Safe Drinking Water and 

Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). Although Ciba recommended “against 

accepting triclosan” for inclusion in the process potentially leading to a listing,148

OEHHA nonetheless included triclosan in its prioritization groupings.149

3. British Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

 Yet another significant and relevant decision is one by the British Royal 

Commission on Environmental Pollution. (British Royal Commission) In 2003, the 

 

147 Id. Also, the SCCP Opinion did not assess inhalation exposure to triclosan from spray products (e.g. 

deodorants). Id. 

148 See, Letter from Lisa Navarro, of Ciba, to OEHHA, May 4, 2009, available at 

http://.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/public_meetings/052909coms/triclosan/CibaCorpTriclosan.pdf. 

149 See, OEHHA, “Meeting Synopsis and Slide Presentations Carcinogen Identification Committee 

Meeting Held on May 29, 2009”, available at 

http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/public_meetings/cic060509.hmtl. 

45
British Royal Commission Recommended a regulatory ban on synthetic chemicals. What 

is significant about this decision is the application--in stark contrast to EPA’s complete 

rejection--of the “precautionary principle.” The British Royal Commission stated: 

We recommend that where synthetic chemicals are found in 

elevated concentrations in biological fluids such as breast milk 

and tissues of humans, regulatory steps be taken to remove them 

from the market immediately.150 

Thus, the British Royal Commission’s recommendation was an exemplary 

application of the precautionary principle, as it recommended “that action be taken to 

reduce risk from chemicals in the face of uncertain but suggestive evidence of harm.”151 

Decisions of Professional Associations 

 The following examples show that some professional associations are stepping 

forward to express formally their serious reservations about triclosan usage. 

1. American Medical Association 

As discussed in Section II (G) of this Petition, the American Medical 

Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs stated its significant concerns about the 

efficacy of triclosan. That body recommended several protective steps aimed at acquiring 

additional scientific knowledge while protecting public health and safety.

2. Canadian Medical Association 

 

150 Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Twenty-fourth Report, Chemicals in Products: 

Safeguarding the Environment and Human Health, June 3, 2003. The Royal Commission on 

Environmental Pollution (RCEP) is an independent standing body established in 1970 to advise the 

Queen, Government, Parliament, the devolved administrations and the public on environmental issues. 

Although funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Royal Commission is 

independent of Government Departments. 

151 Pesticide Action Network International (PAN), Briefing Paper on the Precautionary Principle,09/14/06, 

available at http://www.panap.net/uploads/media/PAN_precaution_14_Sep_06.pdf (PAN Paper). 

46
In 2009, the Canadian Medical Association, at its Annual Meeting, Adopted the 

following Resolution: 

The Canadian Medical Association calls upon the federal government to 

ban the sale of household antibacterial products due to the risk of bacterial 

resistance and to recognize that soap and alcohol-based solutions are as 

effective in preventing household infection.152

3. Physicians for Social Responsibility 

In a 2009 report, Physicians for Social Responsibility announced the results of a 

study demonstrating that “health care professionals are exposed—through the workplace 

or in their personal lives—to a wide range of chemicals [including triclosan] known or 

suspected to cause health problems.”153 Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care concluded 

with several recommendations designed to protect health care professionals and the 

public.154 

 The foregoing discussion illustrates that the momentum of the concern about the 

dangers of triclosan is growing steadily and rapidly. Further, both substantial corporate 

and governmental actors are attesting to the seriousness and the soundness of that 

concern through their actions. 

 

152 Canadian Medical Association Resolution No. 74, Resolutions Adopted at General Council, 17-19 

August 2009, 142nd Annual Meeting Saskatoon, SK (also available at 

http://www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/89632/la_id/1.htm).

153 Report: Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care, Physicians for Social Responsibility, p. 23, October 9, 

2009. (also available at http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/hazardous-chemicals-in-health-care.pdf). 154 Id. at 26-30. 

47
Conclusion

Petitioners have demonstrated in this Petition that a substantial body of scientific 

studies, reports and other sources support the position that the constantly-expanding, 

pervasive and diverse uses of triclosan pose an actual and imminent threat to human 

health and the environment. Therefore, triclosan usage in EPA-approved applications is 

unsafe and ineffective, in violation of FIFRA and the FFDCA, and the agency must take 

such action as required by law to bring its regulation of triclosan into compliance with 

these statutes and other relevant statutes, including CWA, SDWA, and ESA. In the 

interests of the protection of human health and the overall environment that supports it, 

Petitioners request that the EPA ban triclosan and apply in additional, ancillary remedies 

provided for in federal law. 

 Respectfully Submitted 

 

_____________________________ 

 Perry E. Wallace, Esq. 

a

5 

Zelle Hofmann Voelbel M

uite 65

. 20006 

son LLP 

       1700 K St. N.W., S

          Washington, D.C

      (301) 675‐5969 

            Attorney for Petitioners 

            January 14, 2010 

48
Appendix A 

Petition Signatories 

1. Beyond Pesticides 

2. Food and Water Watch 

3. Alaska Community Action on Toxics 

4. American Federation of Teachers 

5. Ban Pesticides in Ulster County 

6. Bernhoft Center for Advanced Medicine 

7. Beyond Pesticides Ohio 

8. Biological Pest Management 

9. Black Warrior Riverkeeper 

10. Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League 

11. Breast Cancer Fund 

12. BURNT 

13. California Safe Schools 

14. Californians for Alternatives to Toxics 

15. Cancer Awareness Coalition 

16. Cape Fear COASTKEEPER® 

17. Center for Biological Diversity 

18. Center for Environmental Health 

19. Chemical Sensitivity Disorders Association 

20. Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper 

21. Citizens Campaign for the Environment 

22. Citizens for Reform of Pesticide Spraying 

23. Clean Production Action 

24. Concerned Citizens for Clean Air 

25. Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology 

26. Donaldson Farms 

27. Ecological Health Organization 

28. Ecology Center 

29. Environment and Human Health, Inc. 

30. Environmental Working Group 

31. Equal Exchange 

32. Farmworker Association of Florida 

33. Fearless Fund 

34. Fluoride Action Network 

35. Friends of Hurricane Creek 

36. Galveston Baykeeper 

37. Grass Roots the Organic Way (GROW) 

38. Grassroots Environmental Education 

39. Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition 

40. Green Science Policy Institute 

41. Greenpeace US 

42. Healthy Building Network 

49
43. Healthy Child Healthy World 

44. HELP New Paltz (HEalthy Lawns Project) 

45. Hilltown Anti-Herbicide Coalition 

46. Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition 

47. Informed Choices 

48. Informed Green Solutions, Inc. 

49. Kids for Saving Earth 

50. Maryland Pesticide Network 

51. Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition 

52. National Center for Environmental Health Strategies 

53. National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation 

54. Natural Resources Council of Maine 

55. Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation 

56. New Jersey Environmental Federation 

57. No Spray Nashville 

58. Oregon Toxics Alliance 

59. Osborne Organics 

60. Parents for a Safer Environment 

61. Pesticide Action Network North America 

62. Pesticide Awareness and Alternatives Coalition 

63. Pesticide Watch 

64. Physicians for Social Responsibility 

65. PODER 

66. Warren Porter, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison 

67. Protect All Children's Environment 

68. Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides 

69. SaferBuilding 

70. Safer Pest Control Project 

71. Satilla Riverkeeper 

72. Shenandoah Riverkeeper 

73. Sustainable Agriculture and Pesticide Policy (SAPP) Group 

74. Sustainability Institute at Molloy College 

75. Terry Shistar, Ph.D. 

76. TEDX (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange) 

77. Tualatin Riverkeeper 

78. Toxic Free North Carolina 

79. Virginia Eastern SHOREKEEPER 

80. Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper 

81. Women's Environmental Institute 

82. Women's Voices for the Earth 

50
51

Appendix B 

Organizations Supporting December 2008 Comments on the 

Proposed Rule: Triclosan; Reregistration Eligibility Decision 

(EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0513-0053) 

Action Now 

Alaska Community Action on Toxics 

American Bird Conservancy 

Beyond Pesticides Ohio 

Breast Cancer Fund 

BURNT 

California Safe Schools 

Californians for Alternatives to Toxics 

Center for Environmental Health 

Chemical Sensitivity Disorders Association 

Citizens Campaign for the Environment 

Ecology Center 

Environmental Health Network 

Environment and Human Health, Inc. 

Grass Roots the Organic Way (GROW) 

Greenpeace US 

Healthy Building Network 

Healthy Child Healthy World 

Maryland Pesticide Network 

National Center for Environmental Health Strategies 

Natural Resources Council of Maine 

Natural Resources Defense Council 

No Spray Nashville 

Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides 

Oregon Toxics Alliance 

Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) 

Pesticide Watch 

Warren Porter, PhD, University of Wisconsin 

Protect All Children's Environment 

Safer Pest Control Project 

San Francisco Baykeeper 

Sierra Club 

TEDX (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange) 

Women's Environmental Institute 

Women's Voices for the Earth