Momentum Builds for Chemical Safety Improvement Act

Press Release

Momentum for U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg's (D-NJ) bipartisan "Chemical Safety Improvement Act" continues to build as the New York Times and Washington Post have endorsed the breakthrough legislation over the past two days. The bill, which caps eight years of work by Sen. Lautenberg to fix the nation's broken chemical law, has been hailed for its bipartisan support and strong measures to protect families from toxic chemicals.

Today the New York Times declared that the bill "deserves to be passed because it would be a significant advance over the current law."

Yesterday the Washington Post wrote that "the unexpected cooperation might lead to the first major environmental law enacted since the 1990s."

"This bill would finally update our laws to protect children and families from toxic chemicals, which is why the editorial boards of some of the country's most prestigious newspapers are calling for its passage," said Senator Lautenberg, who has worked to pass toxic chemical reforms since 2005. "The current law is completely ineffective, and every minute we wait to move forward puts our families at greater risk."

In addition to the supporting editorials, Senator Lautenberg recently announced new bipartisan co-sponsors as well as support by former top Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toxics officials, including from the Assistant Administrator responsible for Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) implementation during President Barack Obama's first term.

The "Chemical Safety Improvement Act" would significantly update and improve TSCA, which has proven ineffective and is criticized by both the public health community and industry. The Lautenberg-Vitter legislation would, for the first time, ensure that all chemicals are screened for safety, secure new health and safety testing for priority chemicals, and require the EPA to protect public health and the environment from unsafe chemicals.

In addition to Senator Lautenberg, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Charles Schumer (D-NY), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tom Udall (D-NM), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), John Hoeven (R-ND), Patty Murray (D-WA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Tom Harkin (D-IA).

Source