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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed extending the compliance deadlines under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for certain entities regulated for their use of methylene chloride. The 18-month extension specifically applies to non-federal laboratories that are not owned or operated by federal agencies or contractors working on behalf of the federal government, under the Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP) and related record keeping requirements. 

Harmonizing Compliance Deadlines 

EPA has proposed this extension to standardize the compliance deadlines for all laboratories, —both federal and non-federal, so that they follow the timeline currently applied to federal agencies and their contractors. The change is intended to prevent interruptions to essential work performed by laboratories, such as monitoring environmental conditions at cleanup sites, supporting wastewater treatment processes, and conducting academic research. These activities, especially those handled by non-federal labs, play a crucial role in helping EPA fulfill its goal of safeguarding air and water quality and ensuring responsible waste management.  

Public Consultation and Further Information 

For more information, see the FEDERAL REGISTER notice announcing the proposed rule here.  

Earlier actions associated with reference G/TBT/N/USA/1988 are filed under Docket Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465. This docket can be accessed on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465/document, where all key documents, supporting materials, and public comments are available. WTO Members and their stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments to the U.S. TBT Enquiry Point. Any comments received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 26 June 2025 will be forwarded to the EPA and included in the public docket, provided they fall within the official comment period. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released new guidance materials to help companies meet updated requirements for submitting new chemical information under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These requirements were introduced in a final rule published in December 2024. 

Interim Submission Process While CDX Updates Are Pending 

The final rule now requires companies to include more detailed information in their new chemical submissions—if that information is known or can reasonably be found by the company. 

While EPA is working to update its Central Data Exchange (CDX) system to handle the new requirements, those system changes are not yet complete. In the meantime, companies must use the current CDX system. To help with this, EPA has issued clear, temporary instructions on how to include the required information using the existing submission process. 

Future Implementation and Stakeholder Training 

Once the updated CDX system is ready, EPA will inform and train stakeholders on how to use the system. At that point, the temporary instructions will no longer apply. 

For more details, visit the final rule docket and EPA’s technical support page for PMN submissions.