Congress Introduces Landmark Chemical Control Reforms

(World Trade Interactive)

“America’s system for regulating industrial chemicals is broken” – Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

[Friday] Congress revealed its initial plan to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act. TSCA is the primary law with which the Environmental Protection Agency regulates chemicals in U.S. commerce. It has not been updated since its enactment in 1976. While a full bill was introduced in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), the House released a discussion draft which will be worked on in the coming months by a broad group of stakeholders including government, industry and non-governmental organizations.

The Lautenberg bill and the House draft reflect congressional priorities such as:

• requiring manufacturers to provide minimum data on chemicals

• requiring EPA to prioritize a list of hazardous chemicals

• creating a public database of information about priority chemicals

• creating incentives to promote green chemistry