ETO is Toxic Act

Expanding Transparency of Information and Safeguarding Toxics Act of 2019 or the ETO is Toxic Act

This bill updates requirements for chemicals that pose an adverse public health risk. Specifically, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish an updated National Air Toxics Assessment once every two years. The assessment uses emissions data to estimate health risks from toxic air pollutants.

The bill also requires the EPA to use data from its Integrated Risk Information System when conducting rulemaking with respect to chemicals that have been assessed in the system. For chemicals that are found to pose an adverse health risk, the EPA shall identify and do additional review on facilities that are significant sources of the chemical to determine whether the facility poses an adverse public health risk.

Under the bill, chemicals identified as carcinogenic in the system must have a toxic chemical release form completed by the owner or operator of a facility.

The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consult with appropriate EPA offices regarding the future schedule of assessments of chemicals to be conducted under the system, the results or existing assessments, and concerns that may merit additional review. HHS must also administer personal exposure tests for chemicals that pose a new adverse public health risk to vulnerable populations, such as children. HHS must establish a Community Outreach Division to communicate risk assessments to affected communities.