HPV Chemicals

In 1997, the Environmental Defense Fund (now Environmental Defense) issued a report entitled "Toxic Ignorance," in which the fund claimed that there was little publicly available data on the health effects of chemicals, even those produced at high volumes. On Earth Day 1998, Vice President Gore charged EPA with the task of ensuring that basic toxicology data on all High Production Volume (HPV) chemical substances (those with more than one million pounds manufactured in a year -- about 2,800 chemicals) would be developed and made available to the public. In response, EPA sent letters in October 1998 to CEOs of companies which manufacture these substances, challenging them to commit to voluntarily conduct this testing. The petroleum industry manufactures approximately 450 of these 2,800 substances. The petrochemical industry also produces and imports substances that are included on EPA's list of 2800 chemicals. NPRA worked with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and American Petroleum Institute (API) to assist our members in joining a testing consortium.

In the HPV Challenge program, 469 companies have volunteered individually or as part of a consortium to sponsor testing for 2,155 chemicals. NPRA member companies are participating in the HPV voluntary program as individual sponsors of chemicals and as part of the consortium. Most member company participants are involved with one or more of three consortia: the Petroleum HPV Testing Group, the ACC Hydrocarbon Solvent Panel, and the ACC Olefins Panel.

The membership of the Petroleum HPV Testing Group includes 70 companies, representing 92% of domestic crude refining capacity. Formed in March, 1999, and administered by API, the HPV Testing Group has sponsored 396 petroleum HPV chemicals that are organized into 13 categories, corresponding to major product lines. The Petroleum HPV Testing Group has now submitted test plans for 12 of the 13 categories: Petroleum Gases, Gasoline, Petroleum Coke, Waxes, Crude Oils, Aromatic Extracts, Asphalt, Kerosene/Jet Fuel, Lube Oils, Gas Oils, Greases, and Reclaimed Petroleum Substances.

Link to EPA web site http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/volchall.htm

Link to Petroleum HPV Testing Group web site http://www.petroleumhpv.org/

Link to American Chemistry Council web site http://www.americanchemistry.com/