The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) and a coalition of over 100 organizations representing a broad spectrum of the U.S. economy today sent a letter urging Congress to advance targeted improvements to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and support a chemical regulatory program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is properly resourced, does not create unnecessary barriers to innovation, and drives growth across domestic manufacturing sectors.
The coalition letter was sent to all Senate and House offices to highlight the critical opportunity before Congress to improve TSCA while reauthorizing EPA’s TSCA fee authority.
“This is exactly the kind of issue where a practical legislative window matters,” said Chris Jahn, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. “House and Senate Committees have already put forward draft language and launched the hearing process. Coupling TSCA fee reauthorization with targeted implementation fixes gives lawmakers a credible path to improve accountability, address longstanding review delays, and demonstrate that TSCA can protect health and the environment while supporting innovation, investment, and manufacturing jobs.”
The coalition spans the full chemicals value chain and advanced manufacturing economy, and its members were closely engaged with Congress during development of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act to reform TSCA in 2016 and stand ready to assist lawmakers as they work to fine tune TSCA this year.
The coalition letter outlines key recommendations for Congress as it considers TSCA improvements and EPA fee reauthorization, including:
Ensuring timely and predictable reviews of new chemicals;
Avoiding delays that discourage adoption of innovative chemistries;
Following a science-driven and risk-based approach to regulating a chemical’s intended use;
Clarifying the statutory exemption for replacement parts enacted in 2016; and
Providing additional clarity and accountability.
The coalition underscored that advancing TSCA improvements alongside fee reauthorization is both important and time sensitive. This is necessary to ensure EPA has the resources to fulfill its statutory responsibilities while Congress exercises meaningful oversight to ensure TSCA works as intended.
View and download a copy of the coalition letter.