Pallone Statement on Senate Passage of TSCA Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21st Century. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, helped lead Democratic efforts to pass the bill in the House and it now heads to the President for signature. Over the last year, Pallone worked across the aisle to pass the first major overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to pass either chamber in almost 40 years and then worked to reconcile differences between the House- and Senate-passed bills.
“I applaud the Senate for taking another crucial step towards a goal that both I and my friend the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg shared: effectively removing toxic chemicals from the products millions of American families use every day,” said Pallone. “It is a long-overdue step forward to protect families and communities from toxic substances and I encourage President Obama to sign this important legislation into law.”
The legislation will strengthen the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect the American people and the environment from harmful existing and new chemical substances. Under the bill, EPA has new and long-needed authority to evaluate chemicals against a risk-based health safety standard that includes explicit considerations for vulnerable populations, such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. It also increases access to chemical product information to better-regulate chemicals in commerce.
The bill updates the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act that has failed to keep up with the risks presented by existing chemicals used in U.S. manufacturing. Today’s marketplace, with industry advancements and increased interstate commerce, has demonstrated the need for modernizing the law to improve protections for public health and the environment.