Toxic Substances Control Act

PASSED BY THE U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Gerald Ford on October 11, 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) directed the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish testing procedures for toxic chemicals, publicize the results of chemicals which prove to be dangerous, and to set guidelines for controlling toxic chemicals.

[Page 812]Legislation with a similar aim was originally proposed in 1971 by the President's Council on Environmental Quality. In one of the council's reports, a desire for substantial legislation to examine, to identify, and to regulate potentially harmful toxic chemicals was expressed. In subsequent years, the House and the Senate each passed their own versions of legislation, during both the 92nd and 93rd sessions, to address the concerns raised ...