TSCA Overhaul Bill Approved in Senate Committee

On Tuesday, April 28, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bill that would overhaul US EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical safety, recordkeeping, and reporting.

New proposals in the approved TSCA reform bill include:

• Create uniform Federal standards for chemicals restricted by US EPA
• Cost cannot factor into EPA’s chemical safety determinations
• Mandated safety reviews for new and existing chemicals
• Adjusting the deadline for EPA to evaluate existing chemicals
• New requirements for confidential business information claims
• Restrictions for new chemicals entering the marketplace
• Officially define “vulnerable populations”

Bill sponsor David Vitter of Louisiana had the following to say regarding the TSCA reform effort:

"TSCA reform is too important for consumers and job-creating businesses to not follow through, especially when you consider the fact that chemicals are used to produce 96 percent of all manufactured goods consumers rely on every day.”

Now that it’s been approved by the committee, the TSCA overhaul bill will face consideration on the full Senate floor.


Maintain TSCA Compliance at Your Site

The interactive TSCA Regulations online course guides you through US EPA’s detailed management rules for handling, storing, processing, and producing chemical substances, including PCBs. Be confident your facility is in compliance with the TSCA chemical regulations, including the latest rules for inventory reporting. Enroll to get 24/7 access to the interactive course, IT support 7 days a week, and easy-to-use digital resources.

Tags: EPA, TSCA