Chemical Lists
If you use toxic or hazardous substances, you will need to consider the complete list of regulated substances and also the shorter lists of higher or lower hazard substances. In this way you can learn whether you need to report to the state.
The complete list
- All toxic or hazardous substances regulated under TURA and subject to reporting and planning requirements are compiled into one list (301 CMR 41.00: Toxic or Hazardous Substances List) from...
- Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA); and
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund").
NOTE: Certain chemicals have been delisted by the Administrative Council. Also, not all listed chemicals are currently in use in Massachusetts.
Higher or Lower Hazard Lists
- Higher Hazard: Under the 2006 Amendments to the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act, the TURA Administrative Council has the authority to designate up to 10 higher hazard substances and up to 10 lower hazard substances per year. The goal of this provision is to help Massachusetts companies and communities focus their toxics use reduction efforts on those chemicals that pose the most serious threats to health and the environment.
- The higher hazard designation lowers the threshold for reporting, planning, and paying TURA fees to 1,000 pounds per year.
- The lower hazard designation eliminates the per chemical fee. Reporting and planning requirements for these chemicals are unchanged.
| Higher Hazard Substances | Year Designated |
| Hexavalent chromium | 2011 |
| Formaldehyde | 2011 |
| Perchloroethylene (PCE) | 2009 |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 2008 |
| Cadmium and Cd. Compounds | 2008 |
| Aldrin - Persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic (PBT) | 2007 (PBT's already had lower reporting thresholds) |
| Benzo(g,h,i)perylene (PBT) | 2007 |
| Chlordane (PBT) | 2007 |
| Heptachlor (PBT) | 2007 |
| Hexachlorobenzene (PBT) | 2007 |
| Isodrin (PBT) | 2007 |
| Lead and Lead Compounds (PBT) | 2007 |
| Mercury and Mercury compounds (PBT) | 2007 |
| Methoxychlor (PBT) | 2007 |
| Octachlorostyrene (PBT) | 2007 |
| Pendimethalin (PBT) | 2007 |
| Pentachlorobenzene (PBT) | 2007 |
| Polychlorinated biphenyl (PBT) | 2007 |
| Tetrabromobisphenol (PBT) | 2007 |
| Toxaphene (PBT) | 2007 |
| Trifluralin (PBT) | 2007 |
| Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (PBT) | 2007 |
| Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) | 2007 |
- Lower Hazard: The TURA program has also designated ten lower hazard substances.
- Three were designated in 2008, effective in reporting year 2009: Isobutyl alcohol (CAS 78-83-1), Sec-butyl alcohol (CAS 78-92-2), and n-butyl alcohol (CAS 71-36-3).
- Seven were designated in 2009, effective in reporting year 2010: butyl acetate (CAS 123-86-4), isobutyl acetate (CAS 110-19-0), ferric chloride (CAS 7705-08-0), ferric sulfate (CAS 10028-22-5), ferrous chloride (CAS 7758-94-3), ferrous sulfate (heptahydrate) (CAS 7782-63-0), and ferrous sulfate (CAS 7720-78-7).
Categorization Work
Higher or Lower Hazard Substances lists are drawn from the "more hazardous chemicals" and "less hazardous chemicals lists", created in 1998 by the TURA Science Advisory Board.
Designation Fact Sheet
