TSCA: Defending our health and environment

For nearly 40 years after Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 1976, it largely failed to protect Americans from dangerous chemicals. Thousands of substances entered the market—and our homes—with little to no testing. Very few were regulated and even fewer were banned. Recognizing this failure, a broad coalition of lawmakers, environmental organizations, industry leaders and health advocates came together to modernize the law.

TSCA helps keep harmful chemicals out of our lives infographic

In 2016, Congress passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a bipartisan overhaul of TSCA. It gave EPA the authority and responsibility to review chemicals more effectively—before and after they enter the market—and to protect vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, workers and fenceline communities.

For the first time in decades, the law has enabled meaningful action to regulate the most hazardous chemicals. Recent rules have banned or restricted cancer-causing chemicals like trichloroethylene, methylene chloride and asbestos—protecting millions of workers and families.

Industry is attacking TSCA because it is working

Today, the improved TSCA is under attack. Despite its success in strengthening chemical safety and starting to reduce long-standing public health risks, industry lobbyists are pushing to weaken the commonsense protections in this hard-won bipartisan law.

Weakening TSCA could mean a return to:

  • New chemicals getting approved to enter the market—and our homes—without sufficient safety data or restrictions to protect health
  • Weaker protections for workers and communities living near chemical plants
  • Elimination or delay of rules that reduce exposure to existing toxic substances

Staff perspective

The Lautenberg Act significantly strengthened the weak law that left Americans unprotected from hazardous chemicals. The Lautenberg Act set a clear directive to protect human health and the environment. That hard-fought bipartisan compromise should not be reopened.

Dr. Maria Doa

Sr. Director for Chemicals Policy, in a statement requested by Congress

Busting industry myths on TSCA

The chemicals industry has long peddled myths to convince Congress to weaken TSCA. For example, industry lobbyists claim without evidence that TSCA stifles innovation and delays new chemical reviews. EPA data shows the opposite is true: industry is the primary driver of delays.

Number of TSCA reviews on industry action for over one year

Truly innovative chemicals are both functional and safe. Toxic “innovations” of the past—like PCBs and PFAS—continue to harm our environment and health decades after their introduction. Americans continue to pay the price for this harm in healthcare and cleanup costs. TSCA strikes a careful balance that allows innovation while ensuring new chemicals don’t pose unreasonable risks. This balance protects our health.

TSCA is facing unprecedented threats

Weakening TSCA would turn back the clock on chemical safety, leaving Americans vulnerable to toxic chemicals. Our health, our environment and future generations depend on its hard-won protections. 

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