DoD Instruction (DoDI) 4715.18 Emerging Chemicals of Environmental Concern
DoDI 4715.18 (Feb 2024) establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for an enterprise-wide approach to the identification, impact assessment, and management of DoW emerging chemicals (ECs) with new or changing toxicity values or environmental regulations. This instruction also establishes the Emerging Chemicals of Concern Steering Group (ECSG), the Emerging Chemicals of Concern Governance Council (ECGC), and the Tri-Service Toxicology Consortium (TSTC).
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For questions or to share concerns on emerging chemical issues, please contact us through the Contact POC page or email our program mailbox: osd.pentagon.ousd-atl.mbx.cmrmp@mail.mil
Memorandum on Enterprise Wide Chemical and Material Risk Management for Capability Development and Resilient Supply Chains
Mission critical chemicals and materials are foundational to the military capabilities and readiness that give the Military Departments a competitive warfighting advantage. This Memorandum elevates the Chair position of the Emerging Chemicals Governance Council (ECGC) to the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S) to ensure A&S-wide alignment, requests that the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering co-chair the ECGC due to their important role in identifying chemical alternatives, and assigns actions to the Assistant Secretaries within the A&S organization.
Administrative Arrangement Between the European Defense Agency (EDA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
In 2023, this Administrative Arrangement Between EDA and DoD was executed to provide a framework for the participants to exchange information and explore collaborative activities falling withing the scope of EDA’s mission, with a view to obtaining mutually beneficial output and results. Areas of cooperation identified include consultations on supply chain issues and consultations on the impact on defense of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
DoD REACH Strategic Plan
The purpose of DoD REACH: A Strategic Plan for Managing Chemicals, Materials, and Impacts on Readiness is to protect military readiness by: (1) identifying the strategies and solutions that must be executed to minimize adverse impacts from the REACH regulation; (2) assigning responsibilities for implementation to the appropriate DoW offices and personnel; and (3) requiring the Components to develop a communications framework.
The plan’s goals and objectives are designed to: (1) protect the availability and use of REACH-regulated, mission-critical substances; (2) ensure the performance of substitute products that are adopted because of REACH; (3) guard against REACH-related disruptions to defense supply chains; (4) minimize impacts to Foreign Military Sales; and (5) develop and implement a REACH communications strategy.