#TSCA Chemical Reform Passes the House
Bittersweet victory: Last week, the House broke a four-decade legacy of inaction by voting to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act through H.R. 2576 the “TSCA Modernization Act.” The chemical reform bill was sponsored by Representatives Shimkus, Upton, Pallone and Tonko. Chemical reform means the EPA will be able to better regulate the 85,000 chemicals used in commerce–of which only five have been restricted up until this point. So that’s the good news.
The bad news is the bill is flawed. Among many other non-profits, the Breast Cancer Fund is asking for better transparency, funding for chemical assessment, and strengthened EPA authority to focus on chemicals previously identified as dangerous. But it’s better than the Vitter-Udall bill, now waiting for a Senate vote, which BCF calls “fatally flawed.”