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International Efforts
More on Reviewing New Chemicals
OPPT has continued to be involved in international chemical risk assessment and management by working with international organizations and through collaborative efforts with countries and stakeholders. OPPT provides leadership to help other governments, industry and the public make informed chemical decisions. Sharing and receiving chemical data and assessments helps leverage scarce resources here and in other countries.
OPPT scientists participate in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Test Guidelines Program 
to develop protocols for studies to assess physicochemical properties, environmental fate, ecotoxicity, and health effects endpoints. The OECD is an international organization consisting of 30 industrialized countries in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Pacific. A foundation of the OECD chemicals program is the Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) agreement among OECD countries to accept for review studies generated in accordance with OECD Test Guidelines and Principles of Good Laboratory Practice regardless of where the study is performed in or among OECD countries.
OPPT continues to participate in the work of the OECD New Chemicals Task Force . This work includes further development of a database to generate a consolidated new chemicals notification form that integrates the reporting elements from all OECD countries. It also includes further work to develop a “parallel” review process with other OECD countries, development of OECD new chemicals working definitions, exemptions and reduced notification approaches.
Accomplishments
- Five OECD countries have provided their new chemicals notification forms (approximately 60 in all) to the OECD New Chemicals Task Force, the reporting elements of which will be cataloged and used to develop the OECD's New Chemicals consolidated electronic notification software. The participating countries are Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
- OPPT participated with other governments in a parallel review process of five new chemical submissions to explore the concept of Mutual Acceptance of Notifications among OECD countries. This process was created in recognition of the benefits to government, industry and the environment of efforts to better align systems for review of new chemicals in the global market.
- OPPT participated in a polymer workgroup under the OECD New Chemicals Task Force, which was convened in 2007. This workgroup collected test data on polymers of low concern from all participating countries, the results of which were included in a draft report to OECD’s New Chemicals Task Force. The objective was to confirm the polymer exemption criteria used by countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
- In conjunction with the Department of Commerce and U.S. industry stakeholders, EPA hosted digital videoconferences on chemical risk management to share insights and practical applications with other countries, including the Philippines’ Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in 2007.