NCQM — National Committee for Quality Management

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Industry reference

Chemicals & Pesticides

Chemical identity and intended use determine the governing pathway. TSCA controls, pesticide registration, hazard communication and voluntary safer-chemistry programs have distinct purposes. The same ingredient can carry different obligations in different applications.

A product-specific review

Move from scope to evidence

  1. Define the product and activity

    Establish chemical identities, composition, intended uses and commercial activities. Determine TSCA Inventory and notification questions at substance level. A pesticide claim or use can create a separate pathway; a trade name or safety data sheet alone does not resolve all jurisdictional questions.

  2. Connect requirements to evidence

    Connect EPA outcomes, restrictions and authorized label conditions to purchasing and operations. Review import certification and downstream communication where applicable. Safer Choice participation is a voluntary program conclusion and must remain separate from mandatory chemical or pesticide requirements.

  3. Review interfaces and changes

    Assess formulation, use, source and production changes before relying on earlier determinations. Maintain the evidence for exemptions and restrictions. An Inventory listing, registration or voluntary label should not be generalized into a claim that the chemical is safe for every application.

5 source profiles

Requirements and technical resources

Review the references relevant to your product and activity. This selected federal collection does not replace a separate review of applicable state, local or contractual requirements.

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

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 HousingChemicals & Pesticides

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

Build a defensible review record

Identify the product configuration, the controlling provision and edition, the evidence required and the person authorized to make the decision. Keep a reason for exclusions and unresolved questions alongside confirmed requirements.

Revisit the record when design, materials, suppliers, software, claims or the applicable source changes. An earlier report remains useful only to the extent that it supports the current configuration and requirement.

Practice guidance