EPA's existing chemicals programs address pollution prevention, risk assessment, hazard and exposure assessment and characterization, and risk management for chemicals substances and mixtures on the TSCA Inventory. The Agency uses statutory authorities including the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), and the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act as well as voluntary activities in its implementation of these programs.
TSCA gives EPA authority to take specific measures to assess chemical substances and mixtures, and protect against unreasonable risks to human health and the environment from existing chemicals. Specifically, TSCA directs EPA to:
- Maintain the Chemical Substances Inventory, a list of existing chemicals in commerce. (Chemicals not already listed on the TSCA Inventory are considered "new chemicals" under TSCA and must go through a review process before they can be added to the Inventory and become "existing chemicals." Read information on new chemical substances.)
- Require testing of chemical substances where necessary to evaluate potential human health or environmental hazards.
- Regulate (including restricting or banning) the manufacture, importation, processing, distribution, use, and/or disposal of any chemical substance that presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment.
- Coordinate certain actions on chemical substances under TSCA with actions taken under other federal laws, including those administered by other federal agencies as well as other laws administered by EPA. If risk on a chemical substance is already managed effectively under a different statute, regulation under TSCA generally is not used.
The PPA established the national policy that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible.
On September 29, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that EPA is putting in place a comprehensive approach to enhancing the Agency’s current chemicals management program under TSCA.
EPA collects and assesses information on chemical substances and manages chemical substance risks. EPA also participates in international activities on chemical substances, coordinates closely with related EPA activities , and provides chemical substance information to the public.