EPA to Address High Risk Chemicals
The long-awaited proposed revisions to TSCA were introduced in the U.S. House and Senate last week. As expected, these proposals, referred to as the “Safe Chemicals Act of 2010” in the Senate and as the “Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010” in the House, contain numerous similarities to REACH. For example, the precautionary principle will apply, manufacturers will need to submit data on each chemical produced and its use, the EPA will be required to prioritize chemicals based on risk, the EPA will be expected to address high risk chemicals quickly. Chemical information submitted will be publically available, the scope of confidential business information will be significantly narrowed, and there is a focus on using safer alternatives to chemicals of concern.
