Environmental regulation and voluntary programs

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA administers environmental product requirements and separate voluntary labeling programs. TSCA, pesticides, emissions, drinking-water products, WaterSense, Safer Choice and ENERGY STAR have different legal and technical bases.

Read the source in its own scope

Environmental Protection Agency is represented in this collection through the specific publications listed below. Begin with the product, activity and responsible party identified by the source. A reference to an agency does not establish that every product in an industry follows the same pathway. Scope, definitions, exceptions and the status of an adopted technical document can change the conclusion.

Connect the publication to the product decision

Use the original publication to establish the requirement, then connect it to the actual model, configuration, process or transaction. Keep source dates separate from effective and compliance dates. Where several agencies are relevant, preserve a distinct conclusion for each framework. A test report, registration, approval, certification and voluntary program claim should be assessed for the precise object and conditions they cover.

9 source profiles

Publications and requirements in this collection

Federal regulationEPA

Antimicrobial Pesticide Registration and Product Claims

FIFRA; 40 CFR Part 152; antimicrobial data requirements in 40 CFR Part 158 Subpart W

A claim to disinfect, sanitize or control microorganisms can place a product within EPA's pesticide framework. The intended use, formulation, mechanism and claims determine the regulatory pathway. Public health antimicrobial claims demand particular efficacy support. EPA registration, establishment identification and the treatment of pesticide devices are different concepts and should never be presented as interchangeable evidence of product approval.

Chemicals & Pesticides

Recognition or voluntary programEPA

ENERGY STAR Product Certification

ENERGY STAR product specifications and third-party certification

ENERGY STAR identifies eligible products that meet the applicable program specification and certification requirements. Qualification depends on the product category, model and specification version. The program must be distinguished from mandatory Department of Energy efficiency standards and Federal Trade Commission labeling requirements; satisfying one pathway does not automatically establish compliance with the others.

Appliances & Energy Performance Electronics & Radio Equipment Building Materials & Manufactured Housing

Federal regulationEPA

Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products

TSCA Title VI; 40 CFR Part 770

Federal formaldehyde requirements apply to specified composite wood panels and to covered components and finished goods containing them. Part 770 combines panel emission limits with third-party certification, mill quality control and downstream documentation. The compliance pathway differs for a panel producer, furniture fabricator, importer and retailer; a finished product label does not by itself establish the status of its underlying panels.

Building Materials & Manufactured Housing Chemicals & Pesticides

Federal regulationEPA

Lead-Free Drinking Water Plumbing Products

Safe Drinking Water Act section 1417; 40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B

The federal lead-free plumbing rule concerns lead content in specified pipes, fittings, fixtures, solder and flux. It establishes calculation rules and a certification framework for covered manufacturers and importers. The lead-free designation is not equivalent to a finding that a complete drinking water system meets all water quality requirements, and it should be distinguished from lead-leaching performance claims.

Drinking Water & Plumbing Products Building Materials & Manufactured Housing

Federal regulationEPA

Nonroad Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Certification

40 CFR Parts 1039, 1065 and 1068

Nonroad diesel engine compliance involves more than an emissions test report. EPA's framework links the applicable engine category and model year to a certified engine family, test procedures, production controls, labeling and continuing compliance. Equipment manufacturers also have responsibilities when installing certified engines. The correct federal pathway must be distinguished from on-road, stationary, marine and locomotive engine requirements.

Industrial Machinery & Electrical Equipment Vehicles & Components

Recognition or voluntary programEPA

Safer Choice Chemical-Based Product Labeling

Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Standard; Criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients

Safer Choice evaluates eligible chemical-based products against ingredient and whole-product criteria. EPA's framework considers human health, environmental characteristics, performance, packaging and disclosure. Selecting ingredients from the Safer Chemical Ingredients List does not itself qualify a formulation for the label. Formal review and the applicable partnership process are required before a manufacturer can make program-related claims.

Chemicals & Pesticides

Federal regulationEPA / CBP

TSCA Chemical Import Certification

TSCA section 13; 19 CFR 12.118–12.127; EPA import policy at 40 CFR 707.20

TSCA import certification connects a shipment entering the United States to the chemical requirements that apply to it. The importer or authorized agent provides a positive or negative certification as appropriate. The declaration rests on the substance, use and applicable restrictions; it does not replace a new chemical review, an exemption determination or a product-specific regulatory obligation.

Chemicals & Pesticides

Federal regulationEPA

TSCA New Chemical Review and Premanufacture Notification

TSCA section 5; 40 CFR Part 720

A chemical's identity and intended commercial use determine whether TSCA new chemical review applies. Manufacturers and importers must establish Inventory status, examine available exemptions and complete the applicable EPA process before beginning a covered activity. A filed premanufacture notice is an application for review; it is not a general product safety certificate or an unrestricted marketing authorization.

Chemicals & Pesticides

Recognition or voluntary programEPA

WaterSense Product Specifications and Certification

WaterSense final product specifications; WaterSense Product Certification System; WaterSense Program Guidelines

WaterSense combines category-specific efficiency and performance criteria with independent product certification. Eligible plumbing, irrigation and water-treatment products can earn the label through the applicable final specification and certification system. The program is voluntary and applies only to defined product categories. It does not replace mandatory plumbing, drinking water, electrical or other requirements governing a particular installation.

Drinking Water & Plumbing Products