1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

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Experts Debate Ways to Reform 1976 Toxics Law

An overhaul of federal toxics regulations will require prioritizing tens of thousands of chemicals currently in the marketplace, representatives of industry and advocacy groups agree.

At issue: the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act

"Getting prioritization is the key to TSCA modernization," Mike Walls, vice president of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), yesterday told a Washington gathering of chemical manufacturers, environmental and public health advocates, environmental justice leaders and consumer product goods companies.

With more than 80,000 chemicals in the TSCA inventory, the first step in prioritization is aligning the list with what is in commerce, Walls said. There is widespread agreement that the focus should be on the highest-priority chemicals and that it should be based on materials' potential for human health risks. But how to do that remains up for debate.

Setting a safety standard

Another potential sticking point in the reform effort is the question of how to define TSCA's safety standard.

The current definition says EPA must show why it believes a chemical poses a health threat and must use the least burdensome alternative to restrict a chemical's use.

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Experts Debate Ways to Reform 1976 Toxics Law - NYTimes.com