Category: TSCA

November 14, 2013

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Chemical Safety Improvement Act

On November 13, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy held a hearing on the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (S. 1009) (CSIA), which was introduced in May 2013 by the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Senator David Vitter (R-LA). Earlier this year, the House Subcommittee held hearings to provide an overview of Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); examine TSCA Sections 5 and 14, which address the regulation of new chemicals, new...
October 2, 2013

EPA Announces Final Rule Concerning Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates and Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylate Chemical Substances

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed on September 30, 2013, a final rule amending a significant new use rule (SNUR) for perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS) chemical substances. The amendment adds PFAS chemical substances that have completed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) new chemical review process, but have not yet commenced production or import, and designates (for all listed PFAS chemical substances) "processing" as a significant new use. The final rule also includes a...
September 19, 2013

House Subcommittee Convenes Hearing on Role of TSCA Preemption

On September 18, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy convened a hearing on the "Regulation of Existing Chemicals and the Role of Pre-Emption under Sections 6 and 18 of the Toxic Substances Control Act." This was the Subcommittee's third hearing on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) issues, and was intended to focus "on the existing statutory provisions, regulatory implementation, and 'real world' implications of TSCA section 6 requirements related to...
August 1, 2013

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on TSCA Reform

On July 31, 2013, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on "Strengthening Public Health Protections by Addressing Toxic Chemical Threats." To date, two bills have been introduced in the Senate that would reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) -- the Safe Chemicals Act of 2013 (S. 696) (SCA) and the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (S. 1009) (CSIA). The late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) reintroduced the SCA on April 10, 2013, and more information...
July 11, 2013

House Subcommittee Holds Second TSCA Hearing

On July 11, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy held a hearing on "Regulation of New Chemicals, Protection of Confidential Business Information, and Innovation." The Subcommittee held a June 13, 2013, oversight hearing on Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The July 11, 2013, hearing was intended to provide the Subcommittee an opportunity to examine the regulatory implementation and "real world" implications of TSCA Section 5, which...
June 20, 2013

EPA Announces Availability of Fact Sheet on Isotopes

On June 19, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of a fact sheet intended to provide guidance on reporting chemical substances that are or contain different isotopes of the same elements that are already on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory. Elemental isotopes have the same number of protons and therefore are the "same" element, but differ in molecular weight and possibly other properties because of a differing number of neutrons. EPA...
June 14, 2013

House Subcommittee Holds TSCA Oversight Hearing

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, held a June 13, 2013, hearing on "Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act: Understanding its History and Reviewing its Impact." The oversight hearing was intended to improve the Subcommittee's understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and its implementation. The background memorandum for the hearing notes that Title I authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection...
May 29, 2013

The Chemical Safety Improvement Act: An In-Depth Review and Analysis

In a stunning bipartisan show of support for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that few saw coming, Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) (among bipartisan others) introduced on May 22, 2013, the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA), later designated S. 1009, available online. CSIA provides a new and streamlined approach to reform TSCA that stakeholders may view favorably when compared to prior legislative templates that have been...
May 22, 2013

Senator Vitter Announces Legislation to Amend TSCA

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) announced today that he and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) are the lead co-sponsors on a bill to reauthorize and amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The bill, entitled the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA), is co-sponsored by the following Senators: Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)Mike Crapo (R-ID)Dick Durbin (D-IL)Lamar Alexander (R-TN)Charles Schumer (D-NY)James Inhofe (R-OK)Tom Udall (D-NM)Susan Collins (R-ME)Joe Manchin (D-WV)Marco...
May 18, 2013

Proposed Rule Concerning CBI Claims under TSCA Addresses EPA Review of Confidentiality Claims and Related Revisions to Other TSCA Rules

As reported in our May 17, 2022, memorandum, on May 12, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new and amended requirements concerning the assertion and treatment of confidential business information (CBI) claims for information reported to or otherwise obtained by EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 87 Fed. Reg. 29078. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act) amendments to TSCA in 2016 included many new...