American Chemistry Council Research Articles

ACC Comments on Final EPA Air Rule

On April 09, 2024, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) release of its final rule on New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry:

ACC Letter to President Biden on INC-4

On March 14, 2024, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Chris Jahn sent a letter to President Biden outlining a set of elements needed for a successful global plastics agreement and requesting a meeting to address priority issues going into the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4).

ACC says regulatory systems must rely on sturdy foundation of sound science

On February 27, 2024, the American Chemistry Council reports on a recent commentary published in the Society of Toxicology's Toxicological Sciences journal which examines the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) opinion for a reduction of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) level of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials (compared with the temporary TDI established in 2015), which the authors of the study say is based on an insufficient foundation for regulatory action.

American Chemistry Council issues reports on plastics and reacts to proposed EPA plastics-rules

On December 7, 2023, the American Chemistry Council issued a new report, spanning data from 2005 to 2017, showing a decline in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and energy consumption during the production of plastic resins. The plastics manufacturing industry reportedly showed a significant reduction in global warming potential even though consumers and businesses demanded the material for cars and trucks, new homes, packaged goods, and other products that rely on plastics. The new report, “A Decreasing Footprint: A Review of Resin Life Cycle Assessments,” the second in a series of three of life cycle assessment reviews, looks at trio of thermoplastics (HIPS, GPPS and ABS) commonly used in automotive, construction, protective packaging and household items.

Total loss of primary containment reporting to improve environmental, social, and governance, sustainability, and process safety performance

AbstractIn recent years, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics have gained significant attention from investors as they seek to understand a company's approach to managing social and environmental risks. Consequently, improving these metrics has become important for companies to demonstrate their commitment to responsible practices and address stakeholder concerns. A company's commitment to responsible practices is also recognized by the American Chemistry Council's (ACC) sustainability goals. The ACC sustainability priorities include various aspects such as climate, water, circularity, air quality, product safety, and diversity and inclusion. Sustainability metrics overlap some suggested ESG metrics. Overlapping ESG and ACC sustainability metrics are also suggested by API‐RP‐754. This article aims to illustrate the utilization of API‐RP‐754 Tier 3 and 4 leading indicators to enhance process safety performance and show a direct impact on improving ESG and sustainability metrics. By examining metrics related to minor chemical spills, water efficiency, plastic waste, and process safety, we will establish a clear connection between increased reporting and the corresponding improvement in process safety lagging indicators. Furthermore, increased reporting of minor spills and elimination of causes will have a direct impact on ESG and sustainability, thereby improving cost and potential improvement of business perception and value to stakeholders.

Chlor-alkali producer Olin commits to phasing out asbestos

Olin, the world’s largest chlor-alkali producer, has agreed to immediately stop importing asbestos into the US and to stop installing and replacing asbestos-based diaphragms in 2 years. The firm has also committed to completely phasing out its use of such diaphragms in 7 years. The firm has yet to officially announce the agreement, but in an April 4 letter to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Olin CEO Scott Sutton provides details of the plan. The letter was leaked by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an advocacy group that is pressuring all chlor-alkali producers to phase out asbestos. Olin is one of three chlor-alkali producers in the US that still use asbestos diaphragms. The other two producers are OxyChem and Westlake. More than half the US chlor-alkali industry has transitioned away from asbestos diaphragms to fluoropolymer ion-exchange membranes. The American Chemistry Council is not on board with the 7-year timeline

Industry sues EPA over ethylene oxide rule

A battle over the cancer risks of ethylene oxide air emissions from chemical plants has landed in court. The chemical maker Huntsman Petrochemical and two industry trade groups, the American Chemistry Council and the Louisiana Chemical Association, filed lawsuits Feb. 21 that challenge the US Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to maintain a 2020 regulation limiting ethylene oxide emissions from organic chemical manufacturing. That regulation relies on a controversial hazard assessment conducted by the EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) in 2016. The rule requires chemical manufacturers to reduce ethylene oxide emissions from equipment leaks, vents, and storage tanks to protect communities near industrial facilities. Industry wants the EPA to use a less protective risk assessment conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In December, the EPA rejected the TCEQ’s assessment . The EPA concluded that there is no scientific basis for changing its preference of using hazard

Plastic Unlimited: How Corporations Are Fueling the Ecological Crisis and What We Can Do About It by Alice Mah

<i>Plastic Unlimited: How Corporations Are Fueling the Ecological Crisis and What We Can Do About It</i> by Alice Mah

Plastics industry sees sustainable start in an Ohio plant

In Akron, Ohio, situated amid industrial buildings and auto service centers, is a small oasis of polished steel and nonslip scaffolding. The proprietors of this new facility hope it’s the future of the plastics industry . The facility, a pyrolysis plant run by Alterra Energy, breaks down plastic waste into a crude oil–like mixture that can be fed into petrochemical plants and transformed back into new plastics. The plant can process about 60 metric tons (t) of plastics a day. It was the largest operational plastics pyrolysis plant in the US until recently, when it was edged out by a larger facility that ExxonMobil started up in Houston. Many more pyrolysis plants, including ones using Alterra’s technology, are on drawing boards for sites around the world. Journalists visited the Alterra plant in November during a trip organized by the American Chemistry Council, a trade group keen on promoting plastics recycling

America's plastic makers optimistic that ambitious UN global plastics agreement can achieve goals

On December 2, 2022, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) announced that after a week of negotiations among governments at the UN's Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee's (INC-1) first of five meetings, the ACC and America's plastic makers remain hopeful a global plastics agreement can drive progress towards eliminating plastic waste in the environment.

Identifying the landscape of developmental toxicity new approach methodologies.

The dynamics and complexities of in utero fetal development create significant challenges in transitioning from lab animal-centric developmental toxicity testing methods to assessment strategies based on new approach methodologies (NAMs). Nevertheless, considerable progress is being made, stimulated by increased research investments and scientific advances, such as induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models. To help identify developmental toxicity NAMs for toxicity screening and potential funding through the American Chemistry Council's Long-Range Research Initiative, a systematic literature review was conducted to better understand the current landscape of developmental toxicity NAMs. Scoping review tools were used to systematically survey the literature (2010-2021; ~18,000 references identified), results and metadata were then extracted, and a user-friendly interactive dashboard was created. The data visualization dashboard, developed using Tableau® software, is provided as a free, open-access web tool. This dashboard enables straightforward interactive queries and visualizations to identify trends and to distinguish and understand areas or NAMs where research has been most, or least focused. Herein, we describe the approach and methods used, summarize the benefits and challenges of applying the systematic-review techniques, and highlight the types of questions and answers for which the dashboard can be used to explore the many different facets of developmental toxicity NAMs.

BSEF and NAFRA react to proposed Canadian restrictions on DBDPE

On the 14th of May, Canada's federal department for Environment and Climate Change (ECCC) introduced the first draft of the Prohibition of Certain Toxic substances Regulations 2022. The draft proposal contains unprecedented restrictions on the manufacture, use, sale and import of both DBDPE decabromodiphenyl ethane) and products containing DBDPE. BSEF and the American Chemistry Council have reacted as follows:

American Chemistry Council comments on US legislation on PFAS and other chemicals, and provides evidence most commercial fluoropolymers are safe for humans and the environment

ACC reacts to EPA New Chemicals Program, SEC Climate Disclosure Proposal and EPA Health Advisories for PFAS, and provides evidence most commercial fluoropolymers are of low concern

Formaldehyde causes leukemia, draft EPA review concludes

Formaldehyde is carcinogenic to humans, a draft risk assessment from the US Environmental Protection Agency concludes. The review, conducted by the agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program and released April 14, cites evidence that inhalation of formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer, sinonasal cancer, and myeloid leukemia in humans. Formaldehyde is used in making plywood, composite wood items, adhesives, and many other products. Consumers can be exposed to the chemical in tobacco smoke, construction materials, furniture, carpets, and other household products, the assessment says. The EPA was poised to release the draft formaldehyde review in early 2018, but it abruptly put the assessment on hold under the Donald J. Trump administration . The agency now plans to use the IRIS assessment to inform its upcoming formaldehyde risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act . The American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers, has been pressuring the EPA to halt the

American Chemistry Council backs flexible climate disclosures

American Chemistry Council backs flexible climate disclosures

ACC reports U.S. chemical production expanded in January

The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) expanded by 0.4% in January following a 1.4% gain in December and a 0.3% gain in November, according to data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Chemical output rose in all regions, with the largest gains occurring in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions. The U.S. CPRI is measured as a three-month moving average (3MMA).

Trade group expects US chemical rebound in 2022

Supply chain constraints in 2021 dampened what should have been a healthy recovery from the 2020 pandemic doldrums for the US chemical sector. But the logistics snarls may be easing, meaning that next year should be when an unfettered industry rebounds strongly, according to a year-end report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC), a trade group. US chemical production volumes fell 3.5% in 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic shut down broad swaths of the economy for months, including key chemical markets such as car manufacturing. The ACC expects the industry to finish 2021 with production growth of 1.4% and expand by a robust 4.3% in 2022. T he council forecast a year ago that the industry would enjoy a 3.9% rebound in 2021, but the economy has faced issues such as congested ports and shortages of truck drivers and other workers. “You have this big surge of demand, and

Scenario of Single use Plastic Ban in some Hotels, Restaurants and Vegetable Market of Nagpur City - A Case Study

In today’s world plastic is a part of everyone’s life. According to American Chemistry Council primary data source, plastics generation was 35.4 million tons in 2017 in the United States, which was about 13.2 percent of total Municipal Solid Waste generation. Plastics makes thousands of products that add convenience, comfort and safety. Due to its light weight, strength and easily mouldable ability it is used as an ideal packaging material. It is also used in many sports to increase athlete efficiency and safety. It increases the efficiency and hygiene of medicines. It is also used in making surgical instruments. Inspite of its many advantages one of the biggest disadvantage is, it will take 1000 years to decompose in Landfills. When it burns, it produces toxic gases which adds to environmental pollution. Plastics, when it dumped in water bodies it threats aquatic life. Plastic does not allow the rainwater to seep into the ground. However, the plastic bags negatively affects environment and human health. 18 states have banned single-use plastic bags such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. In most of the countries, bags of thickness of less than 50 microns are banned. In order to study the awareness about single use plastic ban in Nagpur City, we conducted survey of some Hotels, Restaurants, Vegetable markets and Grocery

EPA maps cyclic siloxane risk evaluation

The US Environmental Protection Agency plans to examine potential hazards and exposures to a cyclic organosilicon compound, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), throughout the chemical’s life cycle, the agency announced Sept. 8 in a draft scoping document . The agency will evaluate the risks of manufacturing, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of D4, including repackaging and recycling. D4 is primarily used to make other silicone chemicals and as an ingredient in some consumer products. The EPA will evaluate potential risks of D4 in some plastic and rubber products, adhesives, sealants, automotive products, paints, coatings, and cleaners. It will not, however, evaluate the use of D4 in personal care products, food packaging, dental bonding agents, breast implants, or over-the-counter drugs, because those uses fall under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration. A coalition of chemical manufacturers, represented by the Silicones Environmental, Health, and Safety Center of the American Chemistry Council, evaluated D4

Recovery to come slowly for US chemical industry

The US chemical industry is a few months into recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but full recuperation won’t happen until 2023. That’s the view from the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the US chemical industry’s main trade association. US chemical sales should recover this year, the ACC says, with a projected total of $525 billion, not including pharmaceuticals, up from $486 billion in 2020 and $509 billion in 2019. But employment, capital expenditures, and production volumes won’t return to prepandemic levels until late 2022 or early 2023, ACC predicts. The trade group expects strong chemical demand through 2021 from consumer-focused industries such as auto, construction, and durable goods. That notion is supported by projections from the World Bank, which said in June that the overall US gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of economic growth, will be up by 6.8% for the year. The ACC expects specialty chemicals, notably coatings, to