Evaluating the Impact of the 2016 Amendment of Toxic Substances Control Act: Did Manufacturers in the US Reduce Chemical Emission Accordingly?

Abstract

This thesis investigates whether the 2016 Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, that amends the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act has affected firm behavior in anticipation of risk management actions, for the first ten chemicals prioritized by EPA to undergo risk evaluation. Using data from Toxic Release Inventory Program from 2013 to 2019 and a difference-in-differences analytic strategy, I examine the release of the 10 priority chemicals scheduled for risk evaluation before and after the official EPA announcement of the 2016 amendment. The regression results shows no significant decrease in release of the 10 priority chemicals, indicating the announcement alone was not enough to motivate facilities to modify their behavior.