Bill would give EPA broader authority in chemical safety and health regulations

May 24th, 2013 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

In a somewhat rare instance of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill, senators from opposing sides of the aisle recently came together to propose legislation that would significantly reform chemical safety and health regulations and grant the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency new authority in overseeing the industry.

Bill would allow EPA to impose new regulations
Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and David Vitter (R-La.) recently submitted the Chemical Safety Improvement Act that could substantially overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act and vest new regulatory powers in the EPA.

Lautenberg has previously been in the news regarding regulations after he proposed a bill that would criminalize failure to report storage of potentially dangerous chemicals.

One of the defining features of the bill is the call for the EPA to conduct a risk assessment process on all chemicals used in commerce - more than 84,000, according to Chicago Tribune - and define them as high or low priority to human and environmental health. Currently, some chemicals are allowed to enter the market without sufficient testing.

If found to be unsafe, chemicals could be put under further inspection, regulation or an altogether ban enforced by the EPA.

The legislation would also broaden the EPA's ability to procure chemical health and safety information from manufacturers and allow local governments to provide input on safety assessments.

"It gives EPA vital new tools to identify chemicals of both high and low concern, and to reduce exposure to those that pose risks," said Richard Denison, senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund.

However, one missing element from the bill that was previously sought by conservationists is the mandate requiring chemical companies to use less dangerous materials if the EPA determined such chemicals could easily replace the ones already in use.

"At a time when the chemical industry is driving a national manufacturing renaissance, a sensible, strong and workable bipartisan solution to modernize TSCA is more important than ever, not only for our industry, but for the countless others that rely on chemical products," said Cal Dooley, president of the American Chemistry Council. "We are confident that 2013 will be the year we can make a bipartisan proposal a reality, and we stand ready to work hard to help sound chemical regulatory reform become law."