EPA announces overhaul of nation's toxic law

Posted on Oct 1, 2009 | Comments (0)

The tides are changing!  Tuesday night, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that chemical management reform will be one of the top priorities of the Obama EPA.

In a speech in San Francisco, Jackson said the time had come to strengthen EPA’s authority to regulate toxic chemicals, which are ubiquitous in the environment and human bodies.

The nation’s toxic chemical law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has been on the books since 1976 but has been woefully under-enforced. The EPA needs better tools.

So according to Jackson, the will is there.  Now for the way: legislation to reform TSCA is expected to be introduced this fall by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL). 

The principles Jackson outlined to guide Congress in creating new legislation include:

• Chemicals must pass muster under a safety standard that protects human health and the environment;
• Responsibility for providing data rests with the chemical industry, not taxpayers;
• EPA must have clear authority to take quick action to restrict use of chemicals that violate the safety standard;
• Manufacturers and EPA should assess and act on priority chemicals, both existing and new, in a timely manner
• Vulnerable populations, especially children, must be given special consideration when setting safety standards;
• Green chemistry, which will lead to safer chemicals, should be encouraged and the public’s right to know about chemicals must be ensured;
• The EPA should be given a sustained source of funding for implementation and the chemical industry must pay its fair share to implement the new standards.

Jackson also said that EPA will immediate start a review of 6 chemicals that have raised concerns including BPA and Perfluorinated Compounds, used in non-stick cookware and some waterproof clothing.

It's good to see the EPA at least acknowledging there's a problem. States like Massachusetts will need to continue to set the bar high in terms of what real reform looks like so stay tuned for ways to get involved locally in this once-in-a-generation opportunity.

For more information:
EPA’s Framework for Chemical Management Reform
Obama administration calls for chemical-law reform - Associated Press
EPA gives Congress a heads-up on toxic chemicals - USA Today
EPA Announces Plan to Review Six Controversial Chemicals - Scientific American