WASHINGTON (April 8, 2020) – Members of the Silicones Environmental, Health and Safety Center (SEHSC), a sector group of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), have submitted a request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conduct a risk evaluation of D4 under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Unique to the submission is the inclusion of a comprehensive and complete draft human health and environmental risk evaluation prepared in accordance with EPA guidance.
The risk evaluation submitted by SEHSC includes results from the rigorous D4 environmental monitoring program the silicones industry designed and executed in collaboration with EPA from 2014 to 2017. An independent, peer-reviewed study that incorporated those results concluded that D4 poses negligible risk to the environment.
“SEHSC’s request demonstrates the industry’s continued confidence in the safety of D4 and its global commitment to the risk-based evaluation of silicone substances,” said Karluss Thomas, Senior Director of SEHSC, ACC’s Chemical Products and Technology Division (CPTD). “Based on a thorough risk evaluation SEHSC included in its submission to EPA, the silicones industry continues to believe that no regulatory restrictions on D4 are needed. SEHSC looks forward to a timely, transparent, and scientifically sound risk determination for D4 by the EPA. The silicones industry stands ready to assist and address any technical questions EPA may have as it considers a potential risk evaluation for this critical material.”
Greater than 99 percent of D4 is used as an intermediate to make products that provide vital societal benefits from a variety of industries, including: transportation, building and construction, health care, and electronics. As an intermediate, D4 enables a host of technologies including solar panels and wind turbines that help reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiencies.
To learn more, view these frequently asked questions or visit sehsc.americanchemistry.com.