By Lynn L. Bergeson 

According to an October 26, 2021, project notification memorandum, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to begin fieldwork on an audit of EPA’s process for conducting reviews of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The memorandum states that the audit “is self-initiated based on OIG’s oversight plan for fiscal year [(FY)] 2022 and to address complaints submitted to the OIG Hotline.” The audit also addresses the following FY 2022 top management challenge for EPA: ensuring safe use of chemicals.

OIG states that its objective is to determine the extent to which EPA uses and complies with applicable records management requirements, quality assurance requirements, and employee performance standards to review and approve new chemicals under TSCA to manage human health and environmental risks. OIG plans to conduct work with the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) in EPA headquarters. According to OIG, the anticipated benefits of the audit are “improved operational efficiency and greater human health and environmental protections.”

To expedite the audit, OIG asks that OSCPP provide the following information:

• Any training materials, handbooks, or other materials related to the review of new chemicals;
   
• Resource allocations for the New Chemicals Review Program for FYs 2018 through 2021;
   
• Scopes of work for any contracts related to the new chemicals review process;
   
• Any OCSPP guidance under which products developed during the review of new chemicals would constitute records and how the records should be managed; and
   
• New Chemicals Review Program organization charts before and after the October 2020 reorganization.

As reported in Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C^®) October 28, 2021, memorandum, “House Committee Holds Hearing on ‘TSCA and Public Health: Fulfilling the Promise of the Lautenberg Act,’” Dr. Michal Ilana Freedhoff, OCSPP Assistant Administrator, has let OIG know that OCSPP will cooperate fully with its investigation.