The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued two proposed rules last week that would require manufacturers and importers of dozens of high production volume chemicals to provide health, environmental and usage data. EPA also issued a final rule that requires manufacturers to test the health and environmental effects of 15 high production volume (HPV) chemicals.

In 1998, EPA concluded that there were significant gaps in the basic data needed to understand and characterize the potential hazards associated with certain HPV chemicals. HPV chemicals are classified as those chemicals produced or imported in the United States in quantities of 1 million pounds or more per year. In the High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program, companies were "challenged" by EPA to make health and environmental effects data publicly available on chemicals produced or imported in the United States in the greatest quantities. As of June 2007, companies sponsored more than 2,200 HPV chemicals, with approximately 1,400 chemicals sponsored directly through the HPV Challenge Program and over 860 chemicals sponsored indirectly through international efforts.