3E Adds CDR Services, GC3 Builds Chemical Data Portal for Retailers

EH&S compliance and information management services provider 3E Company has released a new services suite aimed to assist businesses with disclosure processes and chemical data reporting (CDR) compliance issues.

The service comes in response to recent updates to the EPA’s chemical reporting requirements. The CDR Rule was passed in August 2011, and in June 2011, the EPA reclassified about 150 chemicals which previously had not been disclosed to the public.

According to 3E Company, an important part of the CDR Rule is related to the nondisclosure of chemical data that a company calls “confidential business information” (CBI), and part of the updated rulings aims to reduce the number of CBI claims. If a company wants to make a CBI claim, then the company must provide the EPA with up-front evidence for its claim.
Other changes include:

• A shift in reporting frequency from every five years to every four years, making companies responsible to report 2011 manufacturing, processing, and use as well as 2010 production volume by June 30, 2012.
• A requirement to report if the production volume of a chemical substance meets or exceeds the 25,000-pound threshold during the principal reporting year (i.e., calendar year 2011)

The 3E Company service includes tools to help companies evaluate whether to proactively declassify chemical data, or to substantiate business confidentiality claims in the face of an EPA challenge. The service addresses the entire chemical life cycle and includes other reporting and compliance tools, such as regulatory research, MSDS management, emergency response, regulatory reporting, and electronic filing.

In related news, the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3) has built a new database – The Retailer Portal – a key feature in the group’s recent website redesign.

The Retailer Portal is a database of tools and systems to evaluate and manage chemical ingredients in the products retailers buy and sell. The GC3 initiative seeks to provide retailers with the knowledge needed to understand more about the chemicals in the products they sell and to find safer alternatives to chemicals of concern.

The new portal features an interface categorized by retail segment called “Tools to Evaluate Chemical Ingredients in Products.” Retailers can review restricted substances lists, standards, certifications labels, third-party evaluation tools, and consumer guides relevant to a particular segment, e.g., electronics, automotive, toys or building materials.