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for protecting health and the environment. We need to update our 

 approach to existing chemicals to meet the new challenges we face 

 in this era. 



Risk assessment, as you know, is a key tool for making environ- 

 mental decisions. The key to a good risk assessment is reliable haz- 

 ard and exposure information. TSCA, in its role of determining the 

 risks of chemicals in commerce, should be the basic way for this 

 critical information to be developed. 



Mr. Chairman, as we discussed in May, there are over 70,000 

 chemicals on the TSCA inventory. Progress toward determining 

 hazard by testing chemicals on the inventory has been disappoint- 

 ing. We need to focus our energy on the hazards of chemicals with 

 the greatest potential for risk. We have developed a master testing 

 list, an internal system for identifying data needs with policy sig- 

 nificance. Right now there are approximately 500 individual chemi- 

 cals and 10 groups of chemicals on the list. 



The master testing list, or similar priority-setting mechanism, is 

 critical for targeting testing needs and should be incorporated in 

 any TSCA reauthorization effort by Congress. 



We also need effective mechanisms to get testing done. Section 

 4 rules are very time-consuming. To shorten the process, we have 

 used nonstatutory vehicles, such as enforceable consent orders. But 

 if we are to build the data for risk assessment efforts throughout 

 the Federal Government, we need clear authorities to gather this 

 priority testing information quickly. 



In addition to hazard data, good risk assessment necessitates the 

 inclusion of exposure information. We are currently seeking to ex- 

 pand the types of information collected to include use data. Better 

 use data will give us a handle on exposure that we can better as- 

 sess the risk. 



Changes in our risk management activities are also underway. 

 Current risk management actions are targeted using exposure and 

 hazard criteria, incorporating right-to-know and pollution preven- 

 tion principles. As we discussed in May, with the remand of the 

 1989 asbestos ban and phase-out rule by the Fifth Circuit, we find 

 section 6 not as workable as we think Congress intended. 



In trying to find the most effective approaches to risk manage- 

 ment, we have moved from the single chemical approach to looking 

 at clusters of uses or geographic areas. Our Design for the Environ- 

 ment dry cleaning project is an example of how taking advantage 

 of information on uses of chemicals and technologies can provide 

 environmentally preferable, cost-effective choices to small and me- 

 dium-sized businesses. 



There are about 35,000 dry cleaning establishments with some 

 240,000 workers that use perchlorethylene, or perc, to clean 

 clothes. As you are aware, many of these establishments are collo- 

 cated with residences, restaurants, and grocery stores, increasing 

 the potential for exposure. 



Our DFE project is working with the industry to examine clean- 

 ing and control technologies to reduce worker, consumer, and resi- 

 dential exposures to perc. For example, we are now looking at 

 which cleaning process is effective at cleaning a variety of gar- 

 ments, but do not use the more toxic organic solvents. Once the 



