Page "Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976" Paragraph 10

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 mandated the EPA to protect the public from " unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment " by regulating the manufacture and sale of chemicals.

This act does not address wastes produced as byproducts of manufacturing, as did the Clean Water and Air Acts of the era.

Instead, this act attempted to exert direct government control over which types of chemicals could and could not be used in actual use and production.

For example, the use of chlorofluorocarbons in manufacturing is now strictly prohibited in all manufacturing processes in the United States, even if no chlorofluorocarbons are released into the atmosphere as a result.

The types of chemicals regulated by the act fall into two broad categories: existing and new.

New chemicals were defined as “ any chemical substance which is not included in the chemical substance list compiled and published under section 8 ( b ).” This list included all of chemical substances manufactured or imported into the United States prior to December 1979.

This existing chemical list covered 99 % of the EPA's mandate in this bill, including some 8, 800 chemicals imported or produced at quantities above 10, 000 pounds.

Existing chemicals include any chemical currently listed under section 8 ( b ).

The distinction between existing and new chemicals is necessary as the act regulates each category of chemicals in different ways.