Chemicals Management in the United States: Changes Are Coming

The Obama administration has identified chemicals management as one of its top environmental priorities.  On September 29, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a comprehensive approach to enhance the Agency’s current chemicals management program within the limits of its existing statutory authorities.  This comprehensive approach supersedes the Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), which EPA launched in 2008.
Meanwhile, a consensus has been building regarding the need to reform or amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which is the nation's primary chemicals management law.  Concurrently with its announcement referred to above, EPA released a set of core principles to strengthen U.S. chemical management laws.  According to the Agency, these core principles were developed to inform efforts underway in the U.S. Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the TSCA.
In light of these ongoing efforts by both EPA and the Congress, the future of chemicals management in the U.S. remains to be determined.  At this time, only two things are certain:
1.      changes are coming; and
2.      these changes will potentially impact all companies that manufacture, import, process, use, or distribute in commerce any chemicals or products made from chemicals.
This presentation will summarize the most recent regulatory and legislative developments, review the status of chemicals management in the U.S. as of the time that it's presented, discuss the practical implications of recent and anticipated changes, and recommend steps that companies should take to keep up with new developments going forward.