Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

US: ACC Comments on House TSCA Modernisation Legislation

In January 2026 the American Chemistry Council publicly welcomed US House Energy & Commerce Committee legislation to modernise implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The statement signals strong industry support for targeted TSCA amendments that restore regulatory predictability and could shape how the eventual law addresses new and existing chemical reviews and investment certainty for US manufacturers.

25 May 2026, 17:12americanchemistry.comUnited States

US EPA Seeks Comment on Methylene Chloride TSCA 6(a) ICR Renewal

US EPA has asked OMB to renew and consolidate its information collection for the methylene chloride TSCA section 6(a) risk management rule and is taking 30 days of additional public comment on the associated reporting, notification, monitoring and recordkeeping burdens. Companies manufacturing, importing, processing, distributing, or using methylene chloride in covered applications should review the estimated 72,699 hours per year of compliance burden and consider commenting by 22 June 2026 if EPA’s assumptions do not match their operational reality.

24 May 2026, 21:35federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Finalizes TSCA Significant New Use Rules for 29 New Chemical Substances

The US EPA has finalised TSCA significant new use rules for 29 new chemical substances, effective 21 July 2026, adding specific SNUR sections in 40 CFR 721 that define which departures from existing TSCA 5(e) orders will be treated as significant new uses requiring advance notice. Manufacturers, importers and downstream users of these substances must now map their current and planned applications against the new conditions, determine whether a 90‑day Significant New Use Notice or TSCA import/export notifications are triggered, and adjust product formulations, processes and contracts before the effective date.

23 May 2026, 19:23federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Finalises One-Year Extension of TSCA 8(d) Health and Safety Data Reporting Deadline

In May 2026, US EPA finalised a one-year extension of the TSCA section 8(d) Health and Safety Data Reporting deadline for 16 high-priority chemicals, moving the submission date to 21 May 2027. Manufacturers and importers of these substances gain additional time to compile unpublished health and safety studies, but should treat the new date as firm while preparing for possible scope changes to the underlying TSCA data call.

23 May 2026, 11:13federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Extends Comment Period for TSCA SNURs on Certain Chemical Substances (26-2)

EPA has extended the public comment deadline on its TSCA significant new use rules for a set of new chemical substances (SNUR batch 26-2) from 26 May to 10 July 2026. This gives companies more time to analyse the April 2026 proposal, gauge which substances and uses may be affected, and file comments before EPA finalises new notification-based controls.

22 May 2026, 17:11federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Signals October 2026 Expiry Wave for 2016 TSCA CBI Chemical Identities

US EPA used a May 2026 TSCA CBI webinar to flag that, beyond the already listed June–July 2026 expirations, a large wave of confidential chemical identities first asserted in 2016 Chemical Data Reporting submissions is expected to reach its ten‑year expiry in October 2026. This creates two concentrated extension windows for companies relying on TSCA CBI protection, who must now reconcile confidential Inventory entries, public EPA lists and CDX notices and prioritise timely section 14(e) extension requests or prepare for publication of currently confidential identities.

22 May 2026, 10:50epa.govUnited States

US EPA Announces TSCA CBI Access for GDIT, SAVAN and Agile

US EPA has authorised contractors GDIT, SAVAN and Agile Decision Sciences to access TSCA confidential business information from late May 2026 to digitise paper records and support data-sync into EPA's records system. This expands the set of third-party IT providers handling TSCA CBI under EPA's established security controls, so companies should be aware of who may process their submissions but do not face new reporting or disclosure obligations.

20 May 2026, 17:50federalregister.govUnited States

US Department of Defense RFI on TSCA High-Priority Chemicals for Defense Industrial Base (Responses Due 19 June 2026)

The US Department of Defense’s Chemical and Material Risk Management Program has issued a SAM.gov request for information, with responses due 19 June 2026, on defence and industrial applications of ten existing chemicals currently undergoing EPA TSCA Section 6 risk evaluations. This non-binding RFI signals that DoD is mapping dependencies before TSCA risk-management rules are finalised, so affected contractors and chemical suppliers should identify where these substances are used, assess substitution options, and consider contributing data to shape future regulatory outcomes.

18 May 2026, 17:51sam.govUnited States

US Ninth Circuit Remands EPA’s TSCA DecaBDE Waste and Recycling Rule Without Vacatur

In May 2026, the US Ninth Circuit ordered EPA to revisit its 2024 TSCA risk-management rule for decabromodiphenyl ether, finding the agency had not adequately justified leaving key waste, recycling, wastewater, and sewage-sludge pathways unregulated while keeping the rule in force. The decision increases the likelihood of additional TSCA controls on decaBDE-contaminated waste and effluents, so manufacturers and waste, recycling, wastewater, and biosolids operators should reassess their exposure points and prepare for strengthened disposal and recycling requirements.

15 May 2026, 15:09courthousenews.comUnited States

US EPA OIG Flags TSCA, FIFRA and PFAS as FY 2026 Management Challenges

EPA’s Office of Inspector General has issued its FY 2026 “Top Management Challenges” report, highlighting that meeting statutory requirements under TSCA and FIFRA and addressing PFAS risks are among EPA’s most serious vulnerabilities for the coming year. For regulatory and product stewardship teams this does not create new obligations, but it confirms that TSCA new-chemical reviews, pesticide registration backlogs and PFAS controls will remain under heightened management and oversight scrutiny, with potential implications for programme timelines and future risk-management measures.

14 May 2026, 06:07epa.govUnited States

US EPA Authorises SAIC Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information

US EPA has authorised contractor SAIC to access confidential TSCA submissions, including business-sensitive information, to support ChemView data warehousing and analytics work beginning no earlier than 19 May 2026. This is an administrative CBI-handling step rather than a new compliance obligation, but it clarifies which third party can see proprietary TSCA data and underpins future transparency and data-service initiatives.

12 May 2026, 15:28federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Updates TSCA CBI Claim Expiration Lists and Extension Guidance for June–July 2026

In May 2026 the US Environmental Protection Agency updated its TSCA confidential business information claim expiration guidance and published revised spreadsheets listing submissions, chemical identities, and companies with CBI claims expiring between late June and late July 2026. Companies whose TSCA claims appear on these lists now face near-term deadlines to decide which claims to extend and must submit substantiated electronic extension requests through CDX at least 30 days before each expiration date or risk their previously confidential data being made public.

9 May 2026, 07:23epa.govUnited States

US D.C. Circuit Dismisses TSCA PFOA Citizen Suit Over Fluorinated Plastic Containers for Lack of Standing

In May 2026, the US D.C. Circuit dismissed a TSCA citizen suit seeking to force EPA action on PFOA formed during fluorination of plastic containers, holding that the NGO plaintiffs lacked associational standing and that the court therefore lacked jurisdiction to compel EPA regulation or enforcement. The ruling removes immediate court pressure on EPA and fluorinated container users over this PFAS pathway, reinforcing the importance of organisational structure and standing evidence for future TSCA litigation while leaving underlying PFAS regulatory risk to EPA’s ongoing rulemaking.

6 May 2026, 19:25media.cadc.uscourts.govUnited States

US EPA Schedules Webinar on Expiring TSCA CBI Claims and CDX Extension Process

US EPA has updated its TSCA CBI Claim Expiration guidance with a May 6 webinar and detailed CDX instructions for requesting extensions on confidentiality claims expiring from late June 2026 onward. Companies with TSCA CBI claims should quickly identify any expiring entries, ensure CDX access, and schedule extension submissions at least 30 days before each claim’s expiration to avoid loss of protection and public disclosure.

6 May 2026, 07:01epa.govUnited States

US EPA Issues Final TSCA Risk Evaluation for 1,2-Dichloroethane

The US Environmental Protection Agency has completed its final TSCA risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane, determining unreasonable risk to workers under 15 conditions of use while finding no unreasonable risk for consumers, the general population, or the environment, with the notice scheduled for Federal Register publication on 5 May 2026. This determination triggers the start of TSCA section 6 risk-management rulemaking, signalling likely new controls on occupational uses and prompting companies handling 1,2-dichloroethane to reassess exposure pathways, substitution options, and compliance strategies in advance of proposed regulations.

4 May 2026, 18:33public-inspection.federalregister.govUnited States

US EPA Extends Postponement of TCE TSCA 6(g) Exemption Conditions Pending Judicial Review

US EPA has further postponed the effective date of workplace conditions attached to TSCA section 6(g) exemptions in its trichloroethylene risk-management rule, now deferring them indefinitely from 18 May 2026 until court review concludes. For companies relying on these exemptions, including battery separator and other specialised TCE uses, this extends short-term flexibility but leaves significant future compliance obligations and timing uncertainty once litigation ends and a new effective date is set.

4 May 2026, 18:31public-inspection.federalregister.govUnited States

US Senate Joint Resolution S.J.Res.187 Seeks To Disapprove EPA PFAS TSCA 8(a)(7) Reporting Rule

In April 2026, a US Senate joint resolution (S.J.Res.187) was introduced under the Congressional Review Act to overturn EPA’s PFAS TSCA 8(a)(7) reporting submission-period rule. If advanced, this challenge could block or delay the revised PFAS reporting schedule under TSCA, creating planning uncertainty for manufacturers and importers relying on the new 8(a)(7) timelines.

3 May 2026, 09:24congress.govUnited States

US Senate Introduces Bill S.4397 to Amend TSCA on Regulatory Transparency and Science Coordination

US lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill S.4397 to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act, aiming to increase transparency in the regulatory process and better coordinate scientific work across federal agencies. If advanced, this governance-focused reform could change how chemical risk decisions are developed and communicated, influencing future TSCA compliance planning for manufacturers and importers.

3 May 2026, 09:23congress.govUnited States

US EPA Issues TSCA Statements of Findings for New Chemical – February 2026

In April 2026, US EPA published TSCA section 5 statements of findings confirming that a February 2026 new microorganism notification (J-25-0013, modified yeast) is not likely to present an unreasonable risk. This clearance allows the notifier to begin commercial manufacture under TSCA, signalling continued scrutiny of biotechnology-based chemicals while enabling market entry for low-risk strains.

3 May 2026, 09:13federalregister.govUnited States

US House Environment Subcommittee Will Hold Hearing on EPA FY 2027 Budget

A US House Environment Subcommittee hearing on 28 April 2026 will scrutinise EPA’s sharply reduced FY 2027 budget request, with a single witness: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The majority memo signals congressional focus on cuts and reallocations that reshape EPA’s capacity on TSCA implementation, PFAS cleanup, pesticide alternatives, and AI-enabled chemical reviews, shaping future regulatory pace and enforcement risk.

3 May 2026, 09:10energycommerce.house.govUnited States