Chemical Management

Our nation’s primary chemicals management law must keep pace with scientific advancements and ensure that chemical products are safe for intended use—while also encouraging innovation and protecting American jobs.

Policy Background

Congress passed bipartisan comprehensive reform legislation to update the regulation of chemicals for the first time in 40 years, modernizing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to meet the needs of the 21st Century. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LCSA) was signed and enacted into law by President Obama on June 22, 2016.

More effective federal oversight of chemicals will give Americans greater confidence that chemicals in commerce are being used safely and reduce the number of inconsistent state-based chemical initiatives that impede interstate commerce and send mixed messages to consumers.

Thanks to the LSCA, America’s manufacturers will have the regulatory certainty they need to innovate, grow, create jobs and win in the global marketplace—at the same time that public health and the environment benefit from strong risk-based protections.

LCSA improves and strengthens TSCA by:

• Subjecting all new and existing chemicals to an EPA safety review
• Requiring EPA to focus on chemicals that are the highest priorities for full risk-based safety assessments
• Strengthening transparency and the quality of science used to make EPA decisions
• Expanding EPA’s ability to require additional health and safety testing of chemicals
• Allowing industry to request that EPA conduct a safety assessment on a specific chemical
• Providing EPA with a full range of options to address the risks of substances including labeling requirements, use restrictions, phase-outs or other appropriate actions
• Setting aggressive and attainable timelines for EPA to complete its work
• Promoting cooperation between state and federal regulators while creating a strong national chemical regulatory system, ensuring interstate commerce is not disadvantaged
• Strengthening protections for the most vulnerable like infants, children and the elderly
• Protecting Confidential Business Information (CBI)

Important implementation priorities for ACC in the next year and a half will be ensuring that EPA implements provisions of the new law in a fair, efficient and reasonable manner consistent with ACC’s 10 Principles for TSCA Modernization and ACC’s Principles for Improving Chemical Hazard and Risk Assessment.

Also visit ACC's Center for Chemical Safety Act Implementation to learn how the new regulations will impact you.