EPA Syncs Chemical Rules with New OSHA Safety Standards
Published Date: 11/17/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is updating hazardous chemical reporting rules to match OSHA’s new 2024 safety standards. This helps businesses report chemicals more clearly and keeps communities and first responders safer. If no one objects by December 17, 2025, these changes will roll out smoothly without extra delays or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Less paperwork for facilities — copy SDS info
If your business must prepare a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), EPA proposes you can copy the hazard categories directly from the SDS onto EPCRA inventory forms because EPA will adopt OSHA's 2024 Hazard Communication hazard categories (increasing EPCRA categories to match OSHA's detailed categories). EPA estimates 465,692 facilities are affected and says this action reduces respondent burden by 169,753 hours (total estimated burden remains 6,793,536 hours and total estimated cost $311,066,556 per year). Submit comments by December 17, 2025.
More detailed hazard info for responders
EPA proposes to adopt OSHA's 2024 Hazard Communication Standard categories (including more granular hazard categories and changes like replacing Flammable Aerosols with Aerosols and Chemicals Under Pressure) so first responders and communities get more specific hazard information on EPCRA reports. EPA says this will improve first responder and community safety and reduce confusion when using SDSs for inventory reports. Comments are due by December 17, 2025.
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