Toxics Uses Reduction Act

Chemicals are an essential part of modern commerce and cannot be eliminated without catastrophic consequences to public health, the environment and the economy. Limiting exposure to the most hazardous chemicals has been the focus of national and international groups for many years. The USEPA relies on the development and implementation of regulations such as the Clean Water Act, Toxics Uses Reduction Act (TURA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) as regulatory pollution prevention tools. 

Toxics Use Reduction and Prevention By the mid-1980s, it was apparent to many people that certain toxic chemicals could not be managed safely and needed to be phased out or sunsetted . In 1987, attorney Sanford Lewis proposed legislation to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in Massachusetts and 2 years later the state legislature passed the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). The Act created the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to help Massachusetts firms reduce their use of toxic materials. Today, compared to 1990, Massachusetts firms subject to reporting under TURA are generating 58% less waste per unit of product and have reduced on-site releases of federally reportable toxic chemicals by 90%. In addition, since 1990, quantities of chemicals shipped in product have been reduced by 47% (per unit of product shipped). 

U.S. EPA, New Jersey Material Accounting Data Massachusetts Toxics Use Reductions Act Data, 1998b. 

Geiser, Kenneth is Professor of Work Environment and Director of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Dr. Geiser is one of the authors of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act... 

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) List, Grignard reagents listed on, 72 833—834t, 75 256, 259 Toxic substances, regulation of, 27 829 removal of, 74 423 in microbial transformations, 76 412 Toxic use reduction (TUR) regulations, 27 590... 

The Pollution Prevention Act of 199027 requires facilities to report information about the management of Toxic Relief Inventory (TRI) chemicals in waste and efforts made to eliminate or reduce those quantities. The data summarized in Table 3.38 cover a four-year period and is meant to provide a basic understanding of the quantities of waste handled by the industry, the methods typically used to manage this waste, and recent trends in these methods.1 TRI waste management data can be used to assess trends in source reduction within individual industries and facilities, and for specific TRI chemicals. This information could then be used as a tool in identifying opportunities for pollution prevention compliance assistance activities. 

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