House Panel Takes on Toxics Reform
February 24, 2009 by
Julia Wasson
Filed under
2009, Blog, EPA, Events, Front Page, Government, Household Goods, Laws, Plastics, Slideshow, TSCA
Amid growing concern that U.S. chemical regulations are not adequate for protecting human health, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee this week will investigate the current law to assess its effectiveness at governing the thousands of chemicals in commerce today.
The TSCA sets standards for more than 82,000 chemicals.
The House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee will meet Thursday to discuss the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was first established in 1976 to govern the roughly 82,700 chemicals in commerce.
Critics have called for an overhaul of TSCA, saying U.S. EPA cannot properly assess chemicals’ toxicity because of a high burden of proof — the government must prove a chemical poses a health threat before it can act. However, regulators also need proof before they can require companies to provide more information about a chemical.
Since TSCA was enacted 32 years ago, EPA has used it to evaluate the safety of 200 chemicals and banned five.
The Kid Safe Chemicals Act proposes protections for babies and children.
In response, three Democrats, including new Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) last year introduced legislation to require chemical manufacturers to provide health and safety information on chemicals used in products such as baby bottles and food wrappings instead of presuming a substance is safe until proven dangerous.
“The United States’ current regulatory approach to chemicals is in dire need of being modernized,” Waxman said in a statement when the bill was introduced.
The bill, the “Kid Safe Chemical Act,” was also sponsored by Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), who may be confirmed as President Obama’s Labor secretary this week. It would be the first effort to reform TSCA since it was enacted more than three decades ago (E&E Daily, May 21, 2008).
Industry groups have argued that while there is some room for improvement, TSCA is fundamentally protective to human health.
The hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn, Washington, D.C.
Sara Goodman, E&E Reporter
Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)
So great to see info about the bill here! I work for EWG as an online parent organizer and we’re strongly supporting this bill. Join our grassroots campaign to pass it: http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe.
Julia Wasson Reply:
February 24th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Thanks, Lisa, for calling our attention to the Environmental Working Group’s important work. Joe and I just watched the video of Ken Cook’s lecture, “10 Americans,” on the EWG’s website (http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe). We urge all of our readers to spend 22 minutes watching this compelling video.
But don’t stop there. Get involved. Join EWG’s campaign. Write your Congresspersons. Let them know you support the Kid Safe Chemicals Act and a drastic overhaul of the TSCA. All of our children and grandchildren deserve better.
House Panel Takes on Toxics Reform : Blue Planet Green Living…
The House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee will meet Thursday to discuss the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was first established in 1976 to govern the roughly 82,700 chemicals in commerce….