WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 – The Obama Administration on Tuesday asked Congress for an overhaul of the law that regulates toxic chemicals.
Lisa Jackson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, announced that the time has come to strengthen the EPA’s authority to regulate toxic chemicals, which are ubiquitous in the environment and human bodies.
Jackson identified chemical management reform as one of her top priorities, and stated the administration’s guiding principles for overhauling the nation’s toxic chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The 32-year-old TSCA governs more than 80,000 toxic substances, including lead, dioxin and Bisphenol A (BPA).
Legislation to reform TSCA is expected to be introduced in Congress this fall by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL).
U.S. PIRG Public Health Advocate Liz Hitchcock released the following statement:
“For too long, the American public has been exposed to a barrage of toxic chemicals -- without our knowledge and certainly without our consent. Scientists have shown that this exposure has led to an increase in serious chronic ailments from learning disabilities to cancers.
“With this announcement, the Obama Administration has shown that it has heard the growing drumbeat of support for safer chemicals and more information about the chemicals that we come in contact with. We look forward to working with Administrator Jackson, Senator Lautenberg and Congressman Rush, along with health professionals and parents groups, to pass a toxic reform law that puts public health first, and gives us the information we need to protect our families.”
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U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations. For more information, see U.S. PIRG’s Safer Communities campaign.
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For a copy of the EPA’s Framework for Chemical Management Reform, click here.
