Posted on September 13, 2013
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest independent asbestos victims’ organization in the U.S., is delighted and honored to announce that I have been invited to testify on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 2:00 PM EDT before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL). I will be part of an expert panel during a hearing regarding reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
ADAO will testify that TSCA, passed in 1976, has failed to protect public health and our environment. TSCA does not give the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) sufficient power to assess and manage risk from exposure to toxic chemicals. The true test of TSCA reform is whether the EPA is able to issue a ban on asbestos, one of the oldest known carcinogens on the list and one of the worst man-made disasters in history.
If TSCA was working, asbestos would be banned. TSCA didn’t work. Asbestos is not banned, and hundreds of thousands people have died of asbestos diseases in the 37 years since TSCA. It is clear that reform is well overdue.
Wednesday’s hearing, entitled “Regulation of Existing Chemicals and the Role of Pre-Emption under Sections 6 and 18 of the Toxic Substances Control Act,” builds on the subcommittee’s previous hearings examining TSCA. Understanding its History and Reviewing its Impact was held on June 13 and Regulation of New Chemicals, Protection of Confidential Business Information, and Innovation on July 11. This hearing will provide members of the subcommittee a chance to review Section 6 of the law concerning the regulation of existing chemicals and Section 18 governing pre-emption of state efforts when the federal government has already taken action.
I am pleased to serve as a Congressional witness for both the Senate and House of Representatives. Below you will find our recent testimonies.
- U.S. Senate: Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Hearings “An Examination of the Health Effects of Asbestos and Methods of Mitigating Such Impacts”. June, 7, 2007
- U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce “Hearing S. 742 And Draft Legislation To Ban Asbestos In Products.” February 28, 2008
- U.S. Senate: Environmental and Public Works (EPW) “Strengthening Public Health Protections by Addressing Toxic Chemical Threats.” July 27, 2013
- U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, “Regulation of Existing Chemicals and the Role of Pre-Emption under Sections 6 and 18 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.”, September 18, 2013
Many asbestos victims are referenced in statistics and studies – but we are more than a number. As Professor Irving Selikoff once stated, “Statistics are people with the tears wiped away.” We are the voice for those who have been silenced by asbestos-caused diseases.
ADAO is proud to represent the voice of the asbestos victims and pleased to see that over 2,700 individuals have signed the petition to Ban Asbestos. With each new signature, our voice gets stronger and harder to ignore. Sign the petition and be heard.
Together, change is possible.
Linda
U.S. House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Subcommittee for Environment and Economy 18 Members include:
Chairman: John Shimkus (R – IL)
Vice Chairman: Phil Gingrey (R – GA)
Ralph Hall (R – TX)
Ed Whitfield (R – KY)
Joe Pitts (R – PA)
Tim Murphy (R – PA)
Bob Latta (R – OH)
Gregg Harper (R – MS)
Bill Cassidy (R – LA)
David McKinley (R – WV)
Gus Bilirakis (R – FL)
Bill Johnson (R – OH)
Joe Barton (R – TX)
Fred Upton (R – MI)
Ranking Member: Paul Tonko (D- NY)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D – NJ)
Gene Green (D- TX)
Diana DeGette (D – CO)
Lois Capps (D – CA)
Jerry McNerney (D – CA)
John D. Dingell (D – MI)
Jan Schakowsky (D – IL)
John Barrow (D – GA)
Doris O. Matsui (D – CA)
Henry A. Waxman (D – CA)