
USDA-HHS-EPA MOU Reaffirms Federal Coordination on Pesticide Residues in Food
The updated MOU explicitly covers pesticide residues among the chemical residues

prodchem
Jul 30, 2026
Every month, EPA quietly publishes a document that can decide whether a new chemical substance becomes commercially available in the United States. The April 2026 statement of findings under the Toxic Substances Control Act is one of those documents. It confirms which new chemical substances or significant new uses EPA has reviewed and cleared as not likely to present unreasonable risk. For companies tracking new chemical approvals, this notice is a small but useful signal of how the review pipeline is moving.
TSCA section 5(g) requires EPA to publish its findings in the Federal Register whenever it determines a new chemical substance or significant new use is not likely to present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment. This particular notice covers findings EPA made between April 1, 2026 and April 30, 2026.
These statements apply to three types of submissions under TSCA section 5(a):
Premanufacture notices, commonly called PMNs.
Microbial commercial activity notices, known as MCANs.
Significant new use notices, referred to as SNUNs.
Each of these represents a formal request to EPA before a company can manufacture, including import, a new chemical substance for a non-exempt commercial purpose.
EPA's authority here comes directly from TSCA section 5(a)(3). Once a submission comes in, EPA must review it and issue a specific finding about whether the substance may present unreasonable risk.
One of the possible outcomes is a finding under section 5(a)(3)(C), meaning EPA concludes the chemical substance or its new use is not likely to present unreasonable risk. That is exactly the type of finding covered in this April 2026 notice.
Once EPA issues that kind of finding, the submitter gains an important right. They can begin manufacturing the chemical substance, or start processing it for the significant new use, without waiting out the rest of the standard review period.
Anyone planning to manufacture, which under TSCA includes importing, a new chemical substance for commercial purposes falls under this requirement. The same applies to any manufacturer or processor wanting to engage in a use that EPA has designated as a significant new use.
The timing rule is strict. A notice must reach EPA at least 90 days before manufacturing begins or before the significant new use starts.

For this specific reporting period, EPA identified one chemical substance under its section 5(a)(3)(C) findings. The case is listed under EPA case number P-24-0034, tied to the substance 2,5,7,10-tetraoxaundecane, 4,8-dimethyl-, with CAS registry number 59039-15-5.
This is the generic naming convention EPA uses when the specific commercial identity of a submission is claimed as confidential business information. Companies that want the full technical basis behind the finding can look up the case number directly through EPA's public list of chemicals determined not likely to present unreasonable risk.
The docket for this action carries the identification number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-1849, which traders and compliance teams can search on Regulations.gov for supporting materials.
Chemical importers and processors watching for new product opportunities often overlook these monthly statements, but they carry real commercial weight. A section 5(a)(3)(C) finding is effectively a green light. It means a substance that started as a confidential premanufacture notice can now move toward commercial scale manufacturing or a new industrial use.
For buyers scanning the market for emerging specialty chemicals, tracking these notices offers a few practical advantages:
Early visibility into substances moving from review into commercial availability.
A reliable public record for confirming that a new chemical or use has cleared EPA review.
A way to cross reference CAS numbers against supplier claims before finalizing sourcing decisions.
These statements of findings are not the flashiest part of chemical regulation, but they represent a real checkpoint in how new substances enter US commerce. Every finding published under TSCA section 5(a)(3)(C) marks a substance that has cleared federal risk review and can now move toward production or a new commercial use.
Procurement teams sourcing specialty or newly developed chemicals should build a habit of checking these monthly Federal Register notices. Confirming a CAS number against an official EPA finding takes only a few minutes and can prevent costly sourcing mistakes down the line.
Ready to source specialty and industrial chemicals from verified global suppliers? Explore competitive offers on our platform today.

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