Technological watch

WASHINGTON, DC (December 14, 2023) – Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement to begin the process to prioritize five additional chemicals for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): 

“Effective implementation of the TSCA program has been plagued with challenges. With today’s announcement of the next five chemicals identified for potential prioritization for risk evaluation under TSCA, EPA officials and the stakeholder community have an opportunity to put science first and take a positive step forward in TSCA implementation. We appreciate the agency working to engage the public early in the process. Gathering the most relevant data to inform future decision-making will be critical. Anything less will add regulatory burden, cost, delays, and impede progress to a sustainable and circular economy. We expect the agency to rely on the best available science and input from the diverse stakeholder community, including industry, as it moves forward with its final prioritization. ACC stands ready to work with the EPA and other decision-makers to help inform the evaluations about the important uses and innovations these substances enable.

“As part of ACC efforts to support TSCA implementation, ACC’s Chemical Products and Technology Division and its Center for Chemical Safety provide a mechanism for establishing Consortia where stakeholders can collaborate on the development of information, share costs and provide critical input to EPA on specific chemicals. We will be working with our member companies, industry partners and other downstream users to form Consortia that can help contribute and inform the evaluation of these substances.”