EPA Still Seeks Pilot Participants, Set to Launch Test of TSCA Filing

There’s still space for importers, customs brokers and software developers that want to participate in pilots of Environmental Protection Agency filing in the Automated Commercial Environment, said Roy Chaudet of EPA’s Office of Information Collection during a webinar held with CBP on Dec. 8. Among pilots that are limited to nine participants, tests for imports of non-road vehicles and engines and pesticide notices of arrival currently have around two each, and a pilot on hazardous waste exporters has four, said Chaudet. Ongoing pilots with unlimited participation include imports of on-road vehicles and engines and ozone depleting substances.

Meanwhile, a Federal Register notice announcing the beginning of a pilot with unlimited participation to test filing of Toxic Substances Control Act data should be coming very soon. EPA has been unable to identify and flag TSCA-regulated HTS numbers, said Chaudet. Despite a considerable amount of time and money spent, it’s still “about as clear as mud,” he said. EPA hopes that importers of TSCA-regulated products can help by telling the agency what HTS codes they use.

EPA is planning an update to its ACE supplemental guide, but the updated version will include no new requirements, reflecting only changes from the CBP side and clarifications requested by the trade community, Chaudet added. EPA is “actively working” to “manage version control” so that updates happen as infrequently as possible, in an effort to give the trade community stability, he said.