Safe Chemicals Act = Safer Families

Today, Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced the Safe Chemicals Act, which seeks to  reform the outdated and badly broken Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken are co-sponsors, please thank them for championing this bill.

We think this is good news for people and families across the U.S. Why? Because TSCA has failed so completely to protect our health! Of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today, only about 200 have ever been tested for safety. Of those, only five have been banned. Despite ten years of rulemaking, the EPA could not even ban asbestos, a substance which is widely known to be harmful to health.

Now, more than 35 years after TSCA was passed, there is no shortage of stories about toxic chemicals, like BPA, phthalates, formaldehyde and lead ending up in the products we use everyday.

The Safe Chemicals Act will change that by changing the way we review and regulate chemicals. 

Here's what we like about the bill:

1. Takes fast action to address highest risk chemicals.
2. Further evaluates chemicals that could pose unacceptable risk
3. Ensures safety threshold is met for all chemicals on the market.
4. Provide broad public, market and worker access to reliable chemical information.
5. Promotes innovation, green chemistry, and safer alternatives to chemicals of concern.

In Minnesota, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have signed on to be co-sponsors of the Safe Chemicals Act. Please take a moment to thank them for standing up for our health!

Comments

[CharliB]

The potential for chemical reform is quite exciting, but it should be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice millions of animals (for toxicity testing) in the name of better protection for human health and the environment. The revised bill should mandate and create market incentives to use nonanimal methods. We need to ensure that chemical testing is in line with the 21st century and relies on modern, human cell and computer-based methods that provide accurate data on how a chemical acts and what the impact on human health may be.