Four notices published by EPA this week in the Federal Register announce significant new use rules, or SNURs, for dozens of chemicals. One of the notices is a final rule, originally proposed in April, that covers 35 substances. The SNURs referred to in the Federal Register notice identify requirements for workplace protections, hazard communication, and recordkeeping that go into effect on Jan. 5, 2026.
The other three Federal Register notices—90 FR 49016, 90 FR 49148, and 90 FR 49180—are proposed rules that specify SNURs for a total of 89 substances. These SNURs would designate the absence of certain protective measures as a “significant new use” for the chemical in question. EPA is accepting comments on these rules through Dec. 3.
In each case, the chemicals subject to the SNURs are ones for which the agency received premanufacturing notices and which are also subject to an agency order as specified under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Section 5 orders can require several actions from manufacturers, such as testing for a chemical’s toxicity or environmental fate, mandating the use of personal protective equipment for workers, and using certain language for hazard communication.
EPA issues SNURs when it determines that a use of a chemical constitutes a significant new use requiring manufacturers to submit a notification to EPA at least 90 days before they manufacture, import, or process the chemical for that use. This notification triggers an agency review of the conditions of use for the chemical. Manufacture may not begin until EPA completes its review and determines whether further action is necessary.
More information about Section 5 orders and SNURs is available from the EPA website.
The EPA has finalized action on 16 Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) petitions covering compliance years 2021 through 2024. The petitions were submitted by eight refineries seeking exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations.After consultation with the Department of Energy (DOE) and review of refinery-submitted data, EPA granted full exemptions for two petitions, partial exemptions for 12 petitions, and denied two petitions. The agency has updated its online SRE dashboard to reflect the new decisions.
The action follows EPA’s August 22, 2025, determination on 175 SRE petitions from 38 refineries and reaffirms the agency’s policy regarding the return of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) previously retired for compliance when an exemption is granted for a prior year. EPA will direct affected parties to contact the Fuels Program Helpdesk to initiate the RINs return process under standard procedures.
With most pending petitions now resolved, EPA says it will continue coordinating with DOE to review new SRE requests within the 90-day statutory timeframe.
Separately, on September 16, 2025, EPA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that accounts for the expected impacts of the August SRE decisions. The agency is reviewing public comments and plans to update projections of exempted gasoline and diesel volumes in the upcoming “Set 2” final rule based on additional exemptions issued since the proposal.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) noted the European Commission’s release of the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) as a significant step in recognizing the urgent need to accelerate air transport’s decarbonization. The plan addresses several long-standing weaknesses in the EU’s aviation decarbonization strategy, but more action is still needed.“We welcome the Commission’s recognition of market challenges that derive from SAF mandates that were flawed from the outset, particularly the price gap between sustainable and conventional fuels, and the need for robust investment support. Extending SAF support under the EU ETS, exploring tradable SAF and book-and-claim mechanisms, simplifying operator reporting, improving access to sustainability certificates via the Union Database (UDB), and advancing dual conformance of SAF under EU RED and CORSIA to promote global harmonization are positive steps but we need to see how words turn into reality. Particularly, we are concerned that the STIP falls short of critical industry expectations. We hope this is just the start of a continued review of EU aviation sustainability initiatives which will ultimately lead to a more efficient and successful program of decarbonization for aviation,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
IATA notes the Commission’s recognition of the potential of mechanisms that enable tradable SAF certification, including book-and-claim options, to address the SAF supply barrier across European airports. It is also worth noting that such a system will serve as a key enabler for investments in SAF production facilities, in addition to promoting regional cohesion and connectivity by ensuring a level playing field for aircraft operators from different geographical regions in Europe.
This system is urgently required in Europe, and due to the misalignment between the flexibility mechanism under ReFuelEU Aviation, and the rules to claim SAF under EU ETS, necessary amendments to the EU ETS Directive should be implemented during its upcoming review to allow for EU-wide purchase-based claiming of SAF. It also must be noted that book-and-claim is paramount to the success of the proposed “intermediary mechanism”. Enhancement of the UDB is also critical and should be expedited to enable this.
Acknowledging the role of aircraft operators as end-users and giving their issues due consideration should be a priority in STIP’s materialization. Aircraft operators require a predictable SAF market with clear price transparency to plan the integration of SAF into their daily operations effectively.
Under the current regulatory framework, aircraft operators are exposed to unjustifiably higher prices for jet fuel and SAF. While it is necessary to focus on ways to increase investment in SAF production facilities, STIP should prioritize equally the creation of a transparent and open SAF market that encourages both more supply and demand. A robust UDB is also critical to this effort, and hence, IATA urges the Commission to expedite its enhancement work. IATA and its members stand ready to contribute any necessary input to this work, to ensure the best outcome for all parties involved.
While the STIP acknowledges the role of biofuels, it continues to prioritize e-SAF, citing feedstock constraints. IATA’s recent report on feedstock availability demonstrates that Europe possesses significant untapped potential for sustainable feedstocks, including advanced residues and waste streams. A technology-neutral approach—supporting both biofuels and e-SAF—is essential to maximize the potential of all SAFs, all of which will be necessary to reach the targeted 500 Mt in 2050. Limiting support to e-SAF alone risks undermining the scalability and cost-effectiveness of SAF deployment across the continent, with commensurate delays in achieving reductions in CO2 emissions.
“IATA stands ready to work constructively with the Commission to address these gaps and ensure that the STIP delivers a coherent, investment-ready framework. IATA asks for the EU Commission to clarify the timelines for materializing key flagship actions, in consideration of the reviews of the EU ETS and Refuel, to allow for timely and appropriate market actions and other interventions. The airline industry is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but this ambition can only be realized if policy frameworks are fully aligned with industry needs and the true scale of the challenge,” said Willie Walsh.
A recently published health hazard evaluation (HHE) report details NIOSH’s assessment of exposures to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) diacetyl and 2,3-pentadione, as well as carbon monoxide (CO), experienced by workers at a facility where coffee was ground, roasted, and packaged. In July 2023, agency staff visited the facility at the request of management to collect air samples, install a temporary ventilated enclosure around a large coffee grinder, and interview employees about their health concerns. According to the HHE report, six out of seven personal air samples collected for employees involved with production tasks surpassed NIOSH’s recommended exposure limit (REL) for diacetyl, set at 5 ppb. The highest area concentrations of diacetyl, 2,3-pentadione, and CO were measured near the small coffee grinder. Diacetyl concentrations in this area ranged from 31.6 to 77.3 ppb. Corresponding 2,3-pentadione concentrations ranged from 22.8 to 50.5 ppb, exceeding NIOSH’s REL of 9.3 ppb for the substance. Although the report cautions that the results of area air sampling are not directly applicable to NIOSH RELs, area samples “can highlight areas with higher exposure risk, and the RELs can be used as points of reference.”
Several full-shift continuous air measurements of CO collected near the small grinder exceeded NIOSH’s ceiling limit of 200 ppm. Peak CO measurements taken near the small grinder for each day of the survey ranged from 1,041 to 1,521 ppm. The latter, represented by a single 10-second measurement, surpassed NIOSH’s immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) value of 1,200 ppm.
Personal and area air samples indicated that concentrations of diacetyl, 2,3-pentadione, and CO decreased after NIOSH staff installed a ventilated enclosure to control emissions generated by a large coffee grinding machine. For example, roaster operators’ personal air samples decreased from 10.7 ppb to 8.8 ppb for diacetyl and from 7.8 ppb to 5.4 ppb for 2,3-pentadione. Measurements taken inside the enclosure compared with those taken outside of it indicated that the device reduced diacetyl and 2,3-pentadione concentrations by a factor of 16 and CO concentrations by seven- to 12-fold.
As a temporary solution to control CO concentrations near the small grinder, a fan was positioned to blow emissions away from workers’ breathing zones during grinding tasks. This was found to reduce CO concentrations to just below NIOSH’s ceiling limit. However, the report warned that this conclusion was based on the results of one 17-minute sampling period and that the NIOSH ceiling limit for CO may still be exceeded, depending on factors such as coffee roast level or quantity. To more effectively control emissions near the small grinder, NIOSH recommended that the employer work with an engineer to install local exhaust ventilation, as well as a CO monitor to alert employees if concentrations exceeded 200 ppm. If personal air samples for diacetyl and 2,3-pentadione continued to surpass safe levels even after the installation of ventilation near the small grinder, NIOSH urged the employer to provide workers with respiratory protection.
Other recommendations issued by NIOSH included installing permanent ventilation controls around the large grinder, training employees to protect themselves from hazards at the facility, and encouraging employees to report new, persistent, or worsening work-related respiratory symptoms. A PDF of the report may be downloaded from NIOSH’s HHE report database.
The European Commission announced in October that it will restrict the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foams under REACH, the European Union’s regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. According to the commission, the new measures will ensure “a full transition to PFAS-free firefighting foams in the EU.”PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment, function as a surfactant within firefighting foams, forming a film over burning liquids to prevent the release of flammable gases. PFAS exposure in humans has been associated with cancer and immune system effects.
The new restriction is set to take effect after transition periods ranging from one to 10 years for different uses.
“PFAS-free firefighting foams are available and affected operators need sufficient time to smoothly transition to PFAS-free alternatives,” the press release announcing the measures explains. “The Commission has therefore proposed specific transition periods for different sectors.”
The full regulation is available from EUR-Lex, a website that provides access to EU legal documents.
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