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January 14, 2009

EPA Publishes NMSP Interim Report

Lynn L. Bergeson

On January 12, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released
its interim report on the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP), which is a
voluntary program that EPA established to assemble existing data and information from
manufacturers and processors of certain nanoscale materials. Under the Basic Program, EPA
invited participants to voluntarily report available information on the engineered nanoscale
materials they manufacture, import, process, or use. As of December 8, 2008, 29 companies or
associations submitted information to EPA covering 123 nanoscale materials and a further seven
companies have outstanding commitments to the Basic Program. Under the In-Depth Program,
EPA invited participants to work on a plan for the development of data on representative
nanoscale materials over a longer time frame. As of December 8, 2008, four companies have
agreed to participate. EPA states that, based on the current interim results, “the NMSP can be
considered successful.” EPA notes that a number of the environmental health and safety data
gaps still exist, however, and “EPA is considering how to best use testing and information
gathering authorities under the Toxic Substances Control Act [(TSCA)] to help address those
gaps.”