The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has six titles, but Title I does the heavy lifting in the law. With 29 sections, Title I is intended to control new or existing chemicals that EPA determines to cause an unreasonable risk to public health or the environment. Major provisions of TSCA Title I provide for:
TSCA Title I gives EPA the authority to restrict or ban the manufacture and import of substances with an unreasonable risk.
TSCA Title I applies to all manufacturers, importers, and processors of non-exempt chemical substances and mixtures. However, EPA may regulate a chemical’s unreasonable risks at any stage of its life-cycle — manufacturing, processing, distribution in commerce, use, or disposal.
The following chemical substances are excluded:
Although the definition of a chemical substance excludes mixtures, multiple TSCA provisions apply to mixtures.
While the terms below are from 40 CFR 704.3, or in the case of chemical substance 710.3, be sure to check the definitions for the regulatory part to which you are complying to be certain of the meaning. Also, see TSCA, as amended, at 15 U.S.C. 2602.