Talking about TOSCA

摘要

Most modern toxic substances control laws are based on the 1976 US Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. §2601 et seq. (TSCA). It provides the US Environmental Protection Agency with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to certain kinds of chemical substances and/or mixtures, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint. Substances already regulated under other statutes, such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and pesticides, are excluded from TSCA. 34 years after its initial adoption, TSCA is badly in need of an overhaul. For the last year, US regulators, businesses, and others interested in toxic substances have been negotiating a new version of TSCA. Progress will likely be delayed by the new Republican Congress, but the November 2 elections will not make the issues go away.