Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
The U.S. Chemical Safety System is Broken
Everyone has a right to breathe clean air and drink clean water and not have toxic chemicals invading our homes, our bodies and our communities. Yet the U.S. chemical safety system that should protect our health and the environment — the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) — is outdated and ineffective.
Rates of cancer, learning disabilities, and many other health conditions linked to toxic chemicals are skyrocketing. For ten years, many states and businesses have begun acting to get some of the worst chemicals out of everyday products. But even these efforts are hampered by the broken national system. Now Congress is finally considering proposals to fix TSCA and protect our health, while supporting innovation through “green chemistry” to produce safer chemicals and a more sustainable economy.
We must work together to ensure that federal policy includes the principles of the Louisville Charter — these six principles are fundamental to ensuring good government policy that protects health, gives businesses and consumers the information they need to make good choices about chemicals, and shifts the market to green chemistry and clean production.
- Act immediately to protect communities and workers exposed to health hazards
- Phase out the most harmful chemicals quickly
- Require safer substitutes to hazardous chemicals
- Give public and workers the right to know and participate
- Act on early warnings to prevent harm
- Require comprehensive safety data before chemicals are widely used
What’s happening in Congress with the Toxics Substances Control Act?
Check out the Legislative Update from Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to see their up-to-date information on Congressional action on TSCA.