Rule Details How Companies May Keep Chemical Identities Secret

The EPA on Wednesday released a final rule describing its procedures to decide whether a chemical’s specific identity can continue to be kept out of the public’s eye.

The rule (RIN 2070-AK21) also describes the evidence that an estimated 275 chemical manufacturers or processors must provide the Environmental Protection Agency when they try to convince it that making their chemical’s exact identity public would cause substantive competitive harm.

A chemical’s specific identity can be like a blueprint allowing competitors to reproduce the compound. When the EPA agrees to keep the identity confidential, the agency knows the identity. The public knows ...