Slide 1

TSCA Reform and the Chemical Safety Improvement Act: When is Compromise Too Much? Jim Quinn Metro Hazardous Waste Program, Portland, OR NAHMMA Conference, September 2013

Slide 2

Todays Presentation What is TSCA? Why should NAHMMA & the HHW community care? Why isnt TSCA working? The TSCA reform Movement US Senate bills in play A compromise- does is it give up too much? What you can do

Slide 3

NAHMMAs mission NAHMMA is dedicated to: reducing the hazardous components entering municipal waste streams from households, small businesses and other entities.

Slide 4

from: Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead US EPA 2009

Slide 5

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act, passed in 1976 Covers about 84,000 chemicals in commerce, totalling ~74 billion pounds of substances produced or imported into the United States each day Regulates the introduction of new chemicals into the marketplace, as well as those already in commerce when it was passed

Slide 6

TSCA, cont. Does not address: uses in drugs, cosmetics, food packaging regulated by FDA, uses in pesticides covered by EPA under FIFRA Is the only major environmental statute that has not been reauthorized (RCRA, CERCLA, CAA, SDWA)

Slide 7

[ Next three slides borrowed from Richard Denison, Environmental Defense, from The State of TSCA Reform, January 2011]

Slide 8

TSCA, the Dog that Didnt Even Bark By the numbers: 62,000 chemicals grandfathered in when TSCA was passed in 1976 Required testing on