Background

The HPV Challenge Program was developed in repsonse to the results of independent studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental Defense Fund (now Environmental Defense), and the Chemical Manufacturers Association (now Americana Chemistry Council). These studies, as well as, Environmental Defense's publication, Toxic Ignorance: The Continuing Absence of Basic Health Testing for Top-Selling Chemicals in the United States, all concluded that there is a lack of publicly-available information about the potential health and environmental hazards of many chemicals produced or imported int he U.S. in large quantities. From this realization, EPA created the High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program, a major ground breaking chemical information collection effort.

Purpose and Goal

The HPV Challenge Program was developed to gather and publish health and enviornmental hazard information on the HPV chemicals (defined as those chemicals manufactured in, or imported into, the U.S. in amounts equal to or exceeding 1 million pounds per year) listed by EPA. The goal of the program is to obatin a basic understanding of the toxicity of HPV chemicals, their effects on plant, animal, and human health, and thier final dispersement in the environment. EPA has stated that the availability of this information is vitally important to the public so the citizens better understand the chemical hazards in their communities, workplaces, and homes.

The information resulting from this program will be made available to the public, fulfilling the commitment of EPA and the chemical and petroleum indusutries to the public's right-to-know. A publicly available database, whcih is now being developed, will be filled over the next several years with summaries of exisiting and new information on the hazardous characteristics of each chemical. With this information, EPA and others will then be able to better characterize the potential for adverse effects on plant, animal, and human health and the environment.

Participation

The EPA invited producers and importers of the listed chemicals to voluntarily provide basic physical, chemical, toxicity, and environmental fate information on their high production volume chemicals. Companies who participate in the voluntary program identify the chemical they will adopt, and provide a schedule detailing which chemicals they will begin to gather information on during each year of the program, following the guidance established by EPA. Testing will be necessary ONLY when exisitng information is not adequate. This is the first time this information will have been collected, organizd, assessed, and analyzed in such a large scale, collaborative effort.

Petroleum Industry's Role

The petroluem industry is committed ot improving public access to information on petroleum products and chemicals so that consumeres know how to use them carefully and safely. Such information and research has long been an important part of the industry's product stewardship and enviornmental goasl.

In response to EPA's HPV Challenge Program, teh petroleum industry formed the Petroleum HPV Testing Group consortium, which is made up of 70 member companies representing 92 percent of the nation's refinery capacity.

The consortium will facilitate the acquisition of existing information and the development of new data to provide the public with information on the HPV substances generated or imported by the petroleum industry. The petroleum HPV Testing Group works in conjunction with EPA, other trade associations, and non-government organizations to meet the HPV challenge, using the best scientific means available.

Conclusion

When it comes to HPV chemicals, ignorance is not bliss. The HPV Challenge Program was specifically created to collect and publicly provide information on how a given chemical may affect living organisms and the environment. This information is vitally important to protect the health of plants, animals, people, and ecosystems. The Petroleum HPV Testing Group is pleased to voluntarily sponsor chemicals used or manufactured by our industry.

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