Extension of Review Periods Under the Toxic Substances Control Act; Certain Chemicals and Microorganisms; Premanufacture, Significant New Use, and Exemption Notices; Delay in Processing Due to Lack of Authorized Funding

Résumé

Due to the federal government shutdown related to the lack of authorized funding (i.e., a Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations Bill or a Continuing Resolution), EPA is extending the review periods for all Premanufacture Notices (PMNs), Significant New Use Notices (SNUNs), Microbial Commercial Activity Notices (MCANs), and exemption notices submitted to the Agency under section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), received by EPA on or before October 1, 2013, and for which the review period had not expired as of October 1, 2013. Additionally, EPA did not receive notifications with respect to such submissions on or after October 1, 2013, and before the date on which the shutdown terminated on October 16, 2013, and the affected operations resumed on October 17, 2013. Also, during the shutdown, submissions made through e-PMN/CDX or other methods were not processed by EPA. Consequently, the review period for any TSCA section 5 notice submitted during the shutdown did not begin until operations resumed on October 17, 2013.