Hazardous substances protection priorities

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Aet (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq ], as amended by the Superflind Amendments and Reauthorization Aet (SARA) [Pub. L. 99-499], requires that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) develop jointly with the US. Enviromnental Protection Agency (EPA), in order of priority, a list of hazardous substances most commonly found at facilities on the CERCLA National Priorities List (NPL) prepare toxicological profiles for each substance included on the priority list of hazardous substances and assure the initiation of a research program to fill identified data needs associated with the substances. 

Another piece of legislative action to be considered is the OSPAR strategy regarding hazardous substances, known as the Convention for the protection of the marine environment of North-Atlantic . Among the OSPAR list of chemicals of priority action, surfactants NPEOs and so-called related substances, such as NP, are included among other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like PCBs, PAHs and Hg, indicating that these compounds show a risk to the marine environment. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986a, Amendment to National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan National Priorities List, Final Rule and Proposed Rule Federal Register, Vol. 51, No. Ill, June 10, pp. 21053-21112. 

The Supeifund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 (Public Law 99-499) extended and amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfiind). This public law directed the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to prepare toxicological profiles for hazardous substances which are most conunonly found at facilities on the CERCLA National Priorities List and which pose the most significant potential threat to human health, as determined by ATSDR and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The lists of the 250 most significant hazardous substances were published in the Federal Register on April 17, 1987, on October 20,1988, on October 26, 1989, on October 17,1990, and on October 17,1991. A revised list of 275 substances was published on October 28,1992. 

The compounds profiled in this book include solvents, herbicides, insecticides, fumigants, and other hazardous substances most coimnoidy found in the groundwater and soil environment the organic Priority Pollutants promulgated by the U.S. Enviromnental Protection Agency (U S. EPA) under the Clean Water Act of 1977 [40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 136, 1977] and compounds most commonly found in the workplace. 

It is estimated that approximately 100,000 chemical compounds have been produced industrially [2,3] and many of them are harmful to human health and to the environment. However, only 7% of the largest-volume chemicals require toxicity screening [2]. In the United States, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintain a list, in order of priority, of substances that are determined to pose the most significant potential threat to human health due to their known or suspected toxicity. This Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Priority List of Hazardous Substances was first issued in 1999 and includes 275 substances (www.atsdr.cdc.gov/clist.html). 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1993). EPA Updates CERCLA priority list of hazardous substances. Hazardous Waste Consulting. May/June 2.26-2.30. 

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