TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)
At a glance: The U.S. law giving EPA authority to regulate industrial chemicals.
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 gives EPA authority to require reporting, record-keeping, and testing, and to restrict chemical substances and mixtures; food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides are generally excluded. 51 As amended in 2016, TSCA requires EPA to review chemicals to determine whether they pose an “unreasonable risk” and, if so, regulate them to eliminate that risk. The assessment considers both hazard and exposure. 52 Its central instrument is the TSCA Inventory of existing chemicals in U.S. commerce.