Toxic Chemicals Law to Get Needed Update, but Public Safety Will Depend on Implementation

WASHINGTON – Lawmakers unveiled an agreement today to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a 1976 law governing the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of toxic chemicals.

The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“This bill—Congress’s first major rewrite of a fundamental environmental statute in two decades—strengthens EPA’s program to evaluate and regulate toxic chemicals.  It reflects many years of work by members of the Senate and House of both parties and by the White House, and tireless advocacy by NRDC and other groups.  The bill will give EPA a clear and enforceable mandate to review chemicals, and will require EPA to evaluate chemicals based on their impact on human health. But it also contains loopholes and rollbacks sought by the chemical industry, including restricting the authority of states, and limiting the EPA from monitoring chemicals in imported products that may be a threat to public health.  It will be some years before we know for sure how successful the bill will be at protecting the public. NRDC will press hard to ensure the strong implementation of this bill.”   

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

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