The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing its policy on how nanomaterials are assessed (or not) for their environment risks. This could result in the EPA closing legal loopholes by finally agreeing to treat manufactured nanomaterials as ‘new’ chemicals. This would mean there is a legal requirement to assess nanomaterials’ safety before they can be used commercially. EPA toxics chief Steve Owens announced the policy review during his keynote address at the conference “Trans-Atlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies”.
EPA toxics chief Steve Owens announced the policy review during his keynote address at the conference “Trans-Atlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies.” Owens’ announcement is prompting optimism among environmentalists, who have long sought to strengthen regulation of the emerging technology, but is prompting concern from industry officials who fear continued uncertainty about the regulatory status of the materials.
Owens’ speech can be accessed at:
http://www.nano.gov/SteveOwens_ChathamHouseSpeech.pdf
