EPA’s Proposed TSCA Rollback Sparks Health and Labor Backlash

Health, labor, and environmental groups are pushing back against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rollback of amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), warning it could weaken protections against hazardous chemical exposure. The changes would allow the EPA to exclude certain chemical uses from risk evaluations, reduce manufacturer disclosure requirements, and assume proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in workplaces. Critics argue these revisions ignore real-world conditions, where PPE is often misused or unavailable, and fail to account for multiple exposure routes. Labor unions, including the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers, contend that the reforms favor industry interests over worker safety and public health. Industry groups, however, support the revisions, citing delays in chemical approvals that hinder innovation. The controversy comes amid growing political support among Congressional Republicans to revisit TSCA, with advocates warning that the proposed rollbacks could erode the nation’s chemical safety safeguards.

11-11-2025