The American Chemistry Council (ACC) sent a letter to chairman Bobby Rush and ranking member George Radanovich of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection to be submitted as part of the record of the subcommittee's hearing on prioritizing chemicals for safety determination. The letter strongly endorses prioritization as a key component for modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

In the letter, Cal Dooley, president and CEO of ACC, stated, “An effective prioritization system is the linchpin to a TSCA program. Prioritization is neither a theoretical exercise nor is it the end game. It is the first critical step in a process aimed at providing for the safe beneficial use of chemicals and enhancing the public’s confidence in the system. To prioritize all chemicals in commerce, EPA needs adequate information about those chemicals.”

ACC this summer released principles that would enhance the way chemicals are managed in commerce. The Council is working with a diverse group of stakeholders, Congress, and EPA to ensure that TSCA reform includes:

* Protecting the public’s health as the top priority
* Restoring the public’s confidence in the current federal chemical regulatory system and ensuring the safe beneficial use of chemicals
* Reflecting the scientific and technological advances that have been made since TSCA was enacted
* Assuring continued innovation from the U.S. chemical industry—so we can keep making the products that save lives, make our economy more energy efficient, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The American Chemistry Council and its member companies believe that Americans deserve to have confidence that the products they buy are safe for the uses for which they were designed. ACC and our members believe that prioritization of chemicals in commerce is the critical first step in a systematic process by which EPA can determine the safety of chemicals for their intended uses. We think such a systematic process should be a centerpiece of a modernized Toxic Substances Control Act,” Dooley concluded.

Learn more about the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)