CEH Reaches Legal Agreement with Wego Chemical Group, Remedying Its Violations of U.S. EPA Chemical Data Reporting
Contact: Emily DiFrisco, emilyd@ceh.org
Oakland, California – Today the nonprofit watchdog the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced a legally binding agreement with Wego Chemical Group, an importer of chemicals headquartered in New York. According to CEH’s research, Wego previously failed to report its imports of 104 chemical substances between 2016 and 2019 to the U.S. EPA–in violation of the 2020 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Wego supplies coatings, adhesives, sealants, and construction materials for sectors like agriculture and animal care. Between 2016-2019, Wego imported tens of millions of pounds of chemicals but failed to submit any reports of these imports to the EPA in 2020 as required by TSCA. Wego’s violations relate to, but are not limited to, its imports of the following chemical substances in quantities over 1 million pounds each: ammonium bifluoride, benzoic acid, citric acid, isocyanuric acid, itaconic acid, nitromethane, sodium ferrocyanide, sodium silicofluoride, sodium thiosulfate, sulfamic acid, thiourea, and trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate.
These chemicals are used in a wide range of industrial processes and make their way into consumer products. Ammonium bifluoride is a corrosive chemical that is used in various industrial processes including sterilizing food processing equipment and other surfaces. Ammonium bifluoride is toxic when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
Benzoic acid is used as a food preservative, particularly in carbonated beverages, and also used as an antibacterial in cosmetics. It causes irritation to the skin and eyes upon contact. It raises environmental concerns related to its potential accumulation in aquatic ecosystems due to improper wastewater treatment and its ability to convert to benzene, a known carcinogen, in certain conditions.
“We are pleased that Wego has worked efficiently with CEH and the EPA to correct their extensive violations of the TSCA reporting requirements,” said Bob Sussman, CEH counsel and former EPA official. “Thanks to its agreement with CEH and cooperation with EPA, Wego is on track to comply with the reporting requirements for both the 2020 and 2024 CDR reporting period.”
“Reporting imported chemicals to the EPA is crucial because it allows the agency to track the volume and types of chemicals entering the U.S. This is essential for assessing potential risks to human health and the environment, enabling EPA to identify chemicals that may require further investigation, testing, or restriction,” said Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, Senior Director of Toxic Exposure and Pollution Prevention at CEH.
For years, CEH has systematically analyzed the import data for companies and chemicals and worked collaboratively with companies to report that data to the EPA where its research has revealed violations of reporting requirements.
“CEH is proud to fill these major gaps in reporting, acting as a watchdog of our important public health and environmental laws to protect the public from potential exposure to toxic chemicals in their communities,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, Chief Executive Officer at the Center for Environmental Health.
Learn more about CEH’s work and landmark legal agreements as a national watchdog.
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) is a 29-year-old organization leading the nationwide effort to protect people from toxic chemicals to achieve a cleaner, safer, healthier world.