HPV Chemical Tests Threaten Small Producers: High costs of testing high-production-volume chemicals worry smaller firms

Many small and midsized specialty and custom chemical companies are concerned about the economic and competitive impact of the industry's voluntary program to test high-production-volume (HPV) chemicals. Industry experts say that unless changes are made to the program, companies may be forced to quit certain HPV businesses. HPV chemicals are those manufactured in or imported into the U.S. in volumes of 1 million lb or more per year. The HPV program was set in motion late last year when the Environmental Protection Agency, with the support of the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) and the Environmental Defense Fund, issued an unprecedented challenge to 900 companies in the chemical industry. They announced the HPV Challenge Program, calling for importers and manufacturers of HPV chemicals to volunteer to sponsor—conduct or fund—environmental and health testing for 2,800 HPV chemicals and to make the data available to the public by 2004 (C&EN, Nov. 2,1998, page 19). As of March 15, ...