ABSTRACT Not a day passes where nanotechnology does not make headlines in the popular press, scientific journals, as well as in the regulatory arena. Environmental and public health activists are voicing a growing concern and focus on the risks potentially posed by nanotechnology and the ability of the government to regulate these new and exciting technologies. Whereas such concerns state the need for stringent, precautionary, and almost exclusionary approaches to the regulation of nanotechnology, many entities believe that a voluntary approach to these often novel materials and technologies is the appropriate and sensible path. In this editorial, we discuss the importance of nanotechnology, who cares, and the available options for approaching the regulation of this often novel technology. We focus on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and its voluntary regulatory data submission program as the preferred alternative.2 2Comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their employers.