Coalition for Chemical Safety Welcomes Senator Lautenberg’s Chemical Safety Reform Legislation
(Washington, DC) – The Coalition for Chemical Safety – a nationwide organization dedicated to supporting comprehensive reform of our country’s chemical safety laws – welcomes the anticipated move by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg to file legislation designed to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act. A number of reports, today, indicate that his office has confirmed his intention to introduce the bill tomorrow.
While the Coalition’s position on Senator Lautenberg’s bill must await its release and a thorough analysis, the fact that he is moving forward is in itself significant progress toward a long overdue reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the antiquated federal law currently governing chemical safety in the United States.
“By stepping forward on TSCA reform, Senator Lautenberg will signal the start of a very important debate. It is our hope that this leads to a complete overhaul and modernization of TSCA,” said Mark Denzler, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Springfield, Illinois.
“People should recognize how much is riding on this,” said Stephen Rapundalo, President and CEO of MichBio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “TSCA reform is important for public safety but it’s also important to get it right so that we continue to be a country that leads the world in developing new products and a country that puts people to work as a result of that innovation.”
Passed in 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act was designed to give the Environmental Protection Agency authority to oversee chemical safety in the United States. However, the ability of science to determine the impact chemicals have on our bodies and the environment has advanced significantly and the law has not kept up. The Coalition for Chemical Safety believes the EPA should have greater authority and greater resources to make chemical safety determinations and industry should be a more active partner in the process. The key to any TSCA reform should be protecting public safety, promoting innovation and preserving American jobs.
“In this day and age, chemic al safety is of utmost importance concerning the way in which they are being used and distributed,” said Joe Stafford of Correlated Products, Inc in Indiana. “By updating the TSCA, we are committing resources to ensuring that these chemicals are used properly.”
According to Coalition Executive Director Joe Householder, the Coalition intends to play an active role in the upcoming debate. “The Coalition has more than 250 members, including individuals, associations and corporations, across the United States. We all recognize that it is long past time to reform our hopelessly outdated chemical safety laws. We look forward to playing an active role in the discussion in hopes of assuring that Congress takes a comprehensive approach to this vital national issue.”
To learn more about TSCA reform and to join the Coalition for Chemical Safety, visit us at http://www.coalitionforchemsafety.com.
