Toxic Substance Control Act
These resources are funded under a Pollution Prevention Grant from EPA
Background
The Toxic Substance Control Act, or TSCAis the nation's primary chemicals management law. Originated in 1976 and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it addresses production, importation, use and disposal of specific chemicals. On June 22, 2016, TSCA was amended to include the following improvements:
- mandatory requirement for EPA to evaluate existing chemicals with clear and enforceable deadlines,
- risk-based chemical assessments,
- increased public transparency for chemical information and
- consistent source of funding for EPA to carry out the responsibilities under the new law.
TSCA Chemical Prioritization
New work by EPA under the amendment has resulted in a TSCA chemical inventory prioritization process for identifying the high-priority chemicals for risk evaluation. EPA has published resources detailing assessment and management of chemicals under TSCA and in March of 2019, a new list of 40 chemicals was prioritized for evaluation.
Some top chemicals evaluated and concluded to be of high-risk include the following:
- Asbestos is a heat-resistant, naturally occurring mineral used in building materials and is a known carcinogen.
- Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in several environments, and affects almost every organ and system in the body.
- Methylene Chloride is a chemical paint remover, recently banned from consumer use.
- Mercury is a heavy metal used in medical devices and pressure gauges.
- Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are oily or waxy substances banned from production in the U.S. but still persist in the environment.
- Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is a toxic organic compound typically only used by industry as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts, as a spot cleaner or to make hydrofluorocarbon chemicals. It is carcinogenic to humans by all routes and EPA estimates nearly 250 million pounds are used in the U.S. annually. Read more about the Pollution Prevention Institute's work to reduce and eliminate TCE use in Kansas.
Related Training Opportunities
What's in your building— This presentation covers toxic materials commonly present in buildings and how to reduce or eliminate them.
Where to Find Help
The EPA Safer Choice Program is an excellent starting point for researching alternatives to toxic chemicals. The program maintains the Safer Chemical Ingredients List, which classifies chemicals based on existing environmental and toxological research, and a searchable list of commercial products that meet EPA's Safer Choice criteria.
Looking to reduce toxic materials in your process or work environment? Contact PPI for free P2 technical assistance.
Consider applying for a Pollution Prevention (P2) intern to help you reduce your use of TSCA priority chemicals. Interns can assist in researching alternative chemicals and developing process modifications to reduce your usage. For more details on the P2 intern program, visit our Intern Program page.
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