On March 30, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew a Direct Final Rule for Partial Exemption of Certain Chemical Substances from Reporting Additional Chemical Data. The direct final rule, issued in January 2015, would have exempted manufacturers of six biobased diesel chemicals from reporting processing and use information for the compounds under the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule. It resulted from a regulatory petition filed by the Biobased and Renewable Advocacy Group (BRAG^®). The EPA decision to withdraw the rule was in response to a single comment posted during the short comment period.

Kathleen Roberts, BRAG's Executive Director, stated: "Albeit disappointing, the response is not unexpected given the strict procedures associated with direct final rules. EPA has stated it plans to proceed with a proposed rulemaking to list the chemicals soon and we will urge them to move as quickly as possible. Our hope is EPA can complete the rulemaking process in time for the next reporting CDR cycle, which starts in June 2016."

Until the new rule is completed, manufacturers of the six affected biobased diesel chemicals should be prepared to submit processing and use information under the CDR in 2016.

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