TSCA Making Waves Again

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) urged Congress to strengthen the nation’s main chemical control law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), in testimony before a House subcommittee. ACI president and CEO Ernie Rosenberg told the House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy that the cleaning products industry is supportive of bipartisan Senate legislation, the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA), which would modernize TSCA, the nation’s 37-year old law governing chemicals in commerce.

 “A strengthened TSCA has the potential to promote consumer and environmental protection while enabling innovation for new and improved products, said Rosenberg. “That’s why we support the Chemical Safety Improvement Act.”

 “The legislation would remove barriers to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data-gathering and regulatory actions. It would call upon EPA to evaluate the safety of chemicals already in use and enable EPA to identify and act on chemicals that may pose safety concerns.

 “EPA’s enhanced ability to obtain data would encourage industry to provide health and safety information to the Agency without regulatory delays and with fewer demands on Agency resources,” noted Rosenberg.

 Rosenberg added that the proposed legislation would preserve the efficiencies in EPA’s new chemicals review process, which are widely acknowledged to have worked well, and are critical to innovation.

 “To remain innovative, we need strong protection for confidential business information,” Rosenberg said.  “A strengthened TSCA can and must be risk-based and use the best science. EPA must be able to get the information it needs to make informed chemical assessment and risk management decisions.”

 In related news, household products company SC Johnson, which is based in Racine, WI, applauded the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce for its focus on the much-needed legislative reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act.

“There is a clear consumer and business case for modernizing TSCA, a statute that has not been modified in more than a generation,” said Kelly M. Semrau, senior vice president–global corporate affairs, communication and sustainability for SC Johnson.

“We hope the House will be able to come together on a bipartisan bill to reform this antiquated law. Doing so will give businesses a modern process and consumers added confidence in the products that they use in their home,” Semrau continued.

SC Johnson has pledged to work with lawmakers in both parties to develop responsible and workable improvements to TSCA that will garner broad public and industry support and make the US a global leader in chemical management policy.