Proposed changes to the nation’s premier chemical safety law are necessary for American competitiveness, Senate Republicans said in a hearing on Wednesday, as Democrats warned the changes will harm public health.
Scientists and health advocates say proposed changes to a key US chemicals safety law would upend protections for children and other vulnerable populations suffering from toxic exposures, while industry leaders argue the changes would help them get new chemicals to market without sacrificing safety.
Senate Republicans released a draft discussion bill on Thursday aimed at loosening the nation’s premier chemical safety law with the goal of reducing chemical review delays.
Children’s health researchers gathered at a legislative briefing in Washington, DC this week to share recent science on how phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, food additives and other chemicals harm kids’ brains.
A top US regulatory official on Monday championed controversial chemical review reforms that critics say will support industry interests while weakening protections against toxic chemicals for the public.
The deep rift between Democrats and Republicans over the future of the nation’s premier chemical safety law was on full display on Thursday in a hearing designed to kickstart legislation that would allow faster federal approvals for new chemicals.
In a widely anticipated move, House Republicans released a draft bill that would roll back several provisions in the nation’s premier chemical safety law with the stated goal of bolstering manufacturing and innovation.
Hundreds of environmental and health groups are urging Congress not to weaken the nation’s premier chemical safety law as Republican lawmakers signal a willingness to reopen the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The nation’s main office for protecting Americans from harmful chemicals is welcoming its fourth prominent industry insider since President Trump took office, adding to an administration full of former lobbyists and corporate executives who are making environmental policy.
There is a battle brewing over the future of how the US EPA evaluates chemicals for safety. Over the past decade, industry groups have called for changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act saying the chemical review process is slow. Now these industry concerns have made it to Congress, with Republicans signaling a desire to revisit the law.