According to the Toxics Use Reduction Institute’s (TURI) website, the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Program in Massachusetts has received a petition to list carbon nanotubes (both single-walled and multi-walled) and carbon nanofibers.  The TURA Science Advisory Board (SAB) is beginning the process of reviewing these substances and seeks additional information from stakeholders.  SAB’s primary role is to consider petitions to add or delete chemicals from the TURA list and make recommendations to TURI accordingly.

Massachusetts enacted TURA in 1989.  TURA established a Toxic or Hazardous Substance List, often referred to as the TURA list.  Companies subject to TURA are required to file an annual Toxics Use Report that identifies:

• Every TURA-listed chemical the company manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses above applicable thresholds;

• All production processes and products that use one or more listed chemicals; and

• The amount of each listed chemical generated as byproduct (wasted), shipped in product, and released to the environment.