Yvette T. Collazo Steps Down as Director of EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Effective May 21, 2021, Yvette T. Collazo has resigned as the Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). Collazo began as OPPT Director in March 2020. During her tenure, OPPT’s accomplishments include:
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Publishing final risk evaluations for the first ten chemicals reviewed under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and initiating the risk evaluation process for the next 20 high-priority chemicals;
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Beginning risk management activities for the first ten chemicals, including public engagement and consultations with tribal and environmental justice communities;
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Issuing final rules to reduce exposures to five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals;
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Proposing revisions to the TSCA fees rule;
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Increasing transparency by conducting and updating data on TSCA Confidential Business Information reviews, publishing updated 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) information, updating the TSCA Inventory, and making additional information on new chemical submissions available in ChemView;
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Recognizing significant stakeholder achievements through the 2020 Safer Choice and Green Chemistry Awards;
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Re-organizing OPPT to align new chemicals, existing chemicals, confidential information/transparency, and “forward-looking” data collection functions structurally; and
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Establishing an Office for Project Management and Operations that is intended to manage effectively and efficiently the TSCA Program.
