Most people think that manufacturers must prove chemicals safe before they put them on the market.
They’re wrong.
Instead, federal law presumes that most chemicals are safe until proven toxic.
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which governs chemical safety, says that when a chemical maker creates a new substance, it needs only to notify the Environmental Protection Agency. The law gives the EPA just 90 days to figure out if the new chemical poses any risks and if the agency should try to restrict it. If the EPA doesn’t take action during that 90-day window, it gives the chemical a green light by default.
