WASHINGTON (March 20, 2019) – ACC today issued the following statement in response to EPA’s announcement identifying the next set of candidate substances for prioritization under the 2016 amendments to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA):
“With the announcement of the next set of candidate substances for prioritization, EPA met another important milestone and further demonstrated its commitment to meeting its statutory deadlines for implementing TSCA in an efficient manner that is consistent with congressional intent. Prioritization of chemicals for risk evaluations is a new feature of the updated law. Therefore, it is also important to note that neither this announcement nor any final high priority designation represents a finding of risk by EPA. Rather, that is the role of a TSCA risk evaluation.
“ACC will analyze the list of candidates identified by the agency for prioritization and submit formal comments. As EPA moves forward through the prioritization and risk evaluation processes, it must base its work on the best available science and weight of the evidence as required under Section 26 of TSCA. It is also critical for the agency in its risk evaluations to focus on those conditions of use of a high priority chemical that present the greatest potential risks in order to help ensure that the agency’s decisions are protective, efficient and pragmatic.
“ACC remains a strong supporter of the 2016 TSCA reform amendments and EPA’s implementation of them. Our industry will continue to proactively support EPA’s efforts to implement the law. We will also speak out when we think the Agency’s efforts need improvement, and we will do what we can to help the agency address those areas, consistent with the law and best available science. ACC members are confident that once fully implemented, TSCA will represent the premier chemical regulation in the world. Successful implementation of TSCA in accordance with the statute and congressional intent is essential to ensuring protections for human health and the environment, while enabling our industry to continue to innovate, create jobs and grow the economy.”