ACC Expresses Support for Passage of PRIA 5 Reauthorization, Focus on TSCA in Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (December 23, 2022) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) applauded today’s passage of the 2022 omnibus appropriations bill by Congress. The omnibus includes the fifth reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA 5), important legislation that governs the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pesticide registration service fee system, providing EPA with critical resources to evaluate products such as antimicrobial disinfectants, material preservatives, and water treatment chemicals. ACC’s Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC) represents the global biocide industry and has actively urged for the passage of PRIA reauthorization in advance of the law’s expiration in 2023.
ACC also praised omnibus language requiring EPA to improve the way it engages with chemical manufacturers that submit applications for new chemical reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) or are part of EPA’s existing chemical review program, as well as language in multiple sections of the bill that support vehicle light-weighting, battery recycling, and a variety of clean energy initiatives.
The bill’s increase in funding for EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), coupled with a variety of process and information technology improvements within PRIA 5, will allow OPP to increase staffing and better meet pesticide registration timeframes to give consumers, professionals, and businesses the tools they need to manage germs and other pests in and around our homes, public spaces, manufacturing facilities, and environment. The bill also includes funding for EPA development of methods to evaluate antimicrobial pesticide devices, a critical step to ensure products on the market are effective against certain germs, like those causing COVID-19 and the flu.
CBC strongly supports the passage of PRIA 5, which provides a transparent and predictable registration fee system for its members. We’re very pleased to see it pass without delays or roadblocks that would pose a hardship to the industry. CBC is dedicated to working with federal agencies, fellow industry stakeholders, and NGOs to support robust regulation and review of its industry. CBC members work very hard to comply with the process for review and registration of their products, but this requires appropriate levels of funding and clean passage of PRIA.
Shortages of staff, budget, and resources at EPA have slowed the pesticide registration process significantly, particularly with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. CBC is part of the PRIA Coalition Industry Association, comprised of eight organizations representing stakeholders in the pesticide, cleaning product, and agriculture industries, which worked with NGOs and other key stakeholders to advocate for PRIA’s passage.
Members of the PRIA Coalition Industry Association include CBC, the Animal Health Institute, the Biological Products Industry Alliance, CropLife America, the Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology, the Household & Commercial Products Association, ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment).
The PRIA Coalition Industry Association provides additional details on its position at the following website. For more information about CBC, please visit its website.