TSCA Chemical Management Questions and Answers
Why is ACC calling for changes in the chemical regulatory system?
The American people deserve to have greater confidence that the government is adequately protecting our health, our children’s health and the environment. To boost that confidence, we are calling for improvements that will streamline the current chemical management system to catch up and reflect the latest advancements in science and technology and equip EPA with the necessary tools and authority to make informed decisions and enforce them in a timely manner.
Isn’t this a change from your earlier policy, which supported the Toxics Substance Control Act (TSCA)?
For some time, we have been calling for improvements in EPA’s chemical review process. The fact is TSCA was enacted more than 30 years ago. Unfortunately, there has been little accounting for the vast scientific and technological knowledge of chemical products gained over that time. We believe we must harness these scientific advances in a chemical management system that will do a better job assessing the safety of the chemicals we produce, and provide more transparency and responsiveness to the public’s demand for information on chemical safety.
What exactly are you recommending to improve the federal chemical management system?
- Sufficient levels of EPA funding and authority to expedite science-based decision-making and make more well-informed judgments regarding the management of chemicals, including the power to make formal safety recommendations on chemicals
- Increased levels of participation by everyone along the value chain – from manufacturers to retailers – in order to provide robust information sufficient to assess chemical safety
- Establishment of clearly understood scientific principles and protocols to evaluate all chemical research and testing.
What role are you taking to assure the chemicals your members manufacture are produced and used safely?
The chemical industry is committed to continuing to provide robust information in a transparent manner on the chemicals it produces to help EPA assure the safety of all chemicals in production. The entire chemical value chain should be expected to and must be prepared to provide the information necessary to adequately assess chemical safety in accordance with clearly understood and agreed-upon scientific standards.
What testing is currently required before chemicals are allowed in the market?
Our products are thoroughly evaluated for performance and safety before they leave our labs, in accordance with current government rules and regulations, as well as our own rigorous management system that is verified by third-party auditors. The improved federal chemical management system we’re calling for must allow for this performance and safety information to be used by EPA in its assessments of these products and be transparent to the public.