Posted on April 30, 2016
On April 29, 2016 The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) published “A Trilogy of TSCA Reform” with three distinct viewpoints. ADAO was honored to have been asked to submit an Op-Ed for this important trilogy. The U.S. Senate and House continue discussions and negotiations to reconcile the Senate “The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S.697) and the House TSCA Modernization Act H.R. 2576, which were passed to overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Trust me, this is one bill you need to follow and urge your lawmakers to vigilantly work to truly reform TSCA for today and our future.
Existing TSCA and toxic chemical protection from 1976 fails to ensure chemical safety in the U.S. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the legislation is outdated and needs reform calling for further review and protection from the 84,000 potentially hazardous chemicals in our homes, schools, and workplaces. We are urging Congress to pass legislation that ensures the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can expeditiously review and take action to ban asbestos within three or less years. ~ Linda Reinstein
As BNA wrote,
“Anthony Adragna reports in a story for subscribers that House and Senate negotiators may emerge with a combined bill the week of May 9 in Lawmakers Amble Toward Chemical Reform Finish Line.
‘Whenever the legislation emerges, the chemical industry must be able to plan for compliance’, says Beth Bosley of Boron Specialities. Bosley, who has extensive experience with trade associations and testifying before Congress, reviews what it took to reach this point and how a broad section of groups want these measures to become law. Her story for subscribers: ‘A Toxic Substances Control Act for the 21st Century’.
Boosting green chemistry as lawmakers re-authorize TSCA will improve safety, processing, sustainability and public health according to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell’s Joel Tickner, a leading scholar and science policy expert in the area. His article for subscribers: ‘Mainstreaming Green Chemistry: Why TSCA Reform is Necessary but Not Sufficient’.
And finally, asbestos advocate Linda Reinstein outlines the human costs of how past efforts to regulate asbestos under TSCA fell short and how new legislation must be able to address this and other high risk chemicals in ‘Toxic Substances Control Act Reform or Irreversible Rollback?'”
ADAO greatly appreciates BNA giving ADAO the permission to share the three viewpoints below:
- Beth Bosley: Reproduced with permission from Daily Environment Report, 83 DEN B-1 (April 29, 2016). Copyright 2016 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com
- Joel Tickner: Reproduced with permission from Daily Environment Report, 83 DEN B-3 (April 29, 2016). Copyright 2016 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com
- Linda Reinstein: Reproduced with permission from Daily Environment Report, 83 DEN B-6 (April 29, 2016). Copyright 2016 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com