US environmental regulators can now block new chemicals before they hit the market
What happened
US environmental regulators just issued new rules for certain chemicals. Companies must now tell the regulators 90 days before making or importing these chemicals for a new use, and wait for approval.
Why it matters
Before these rules, companies could introduce new chemicals or new uses for existing ones, and regulators would react only after problems appeared. Now, the US environmental regulators can stop a chemical from being used if they find it risky, before it ever reaches the public. This shifts the burden of proof from the public to the chemical manufacturers.
The signal
Watch for how many new chemical uses are blocked or significantly altered by the US environmental regulators in the next year, compared to previous years.