The Toxic Substances Control Act, Explained

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) empowers the U.S. EPA to regulate chemicals across their lifecycle. Following 2016 amendments, the EPA must conduct risk evaluations based on hazard and exposure, without considering costs, to determine if a chemical poses an 'unreasonable risk.' If such a risk is found, the EPA must implement risk management rules, which can include bans or restrictions. The TSCA does not regulate chemicals in pesticides, tobacco, weapons, food, drugs, cosmetics, or medical devices, though these are considered as background exposures.

• The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) grants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate both new and existing chemicals throughout their entire lifecycle, from creation to disposal, to ensure they do not pose an "unreasonable risk" to the environment or people.
• The EPA determines 'unreasonable risk' by analyzing a chemical's hazard (harmfulness) and exposure (contact levels). This assessment must specifically account for 'potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations' and is legally prohibited from considering economic costs.
• For existing chemicals, the EPA performs a 'risk evaluation'; if an unreasonable risk is identified, it must create a 'risk management' rule. For new chemicals, the EPA must ensure safety before commercial introduction. Risk management actions can include bans or restrictions on manufacturing, selling, using, or disposing of the chemical.
• Certain chemical applications are explicitly excluded from TSCA regulation, including those in food and food additives, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, pesticides, tobacco products, weapons, and radioactive materials. However, the EPA must still account for these as 'background' exposures when assessing overall risk.

APA

Earthjustice (2026). The Toxic Substances Control Act, Explained. https://earthjustice.org/feature/tsca-toxic-substances-control-act-explained

Chicago

Earthjustice. The Toxic Substances Control Act, Explained. 2026. https://earthjustice.org/feature/tsca-toxic-substances-control-act-explained.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=The Toxic Substances Control Act, Explained |date=24 February 2026 |url=https://earthjustice.org/feature/tsca-toxic-substances-control-act-explained |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2026toxic, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{The Toxic Substances Control Act, Explained}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://earthjustice.org/feature/tsca-toxic-substances-control-act-explained}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }