![]() Those reforms were intended to address longstanding structural problems with the original 1976 law that were broadly agreed to have stymied the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to ensure that chemicals in and entering commerce are safe for human health and the environment. ![]() Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Nearly three years ago, major reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) were enacted by a strong bipartisan majority of both Houses of Congress, in the form of the Frank R. The full text of the letter is available below and HERE. To address their concerns, the senators demanded complete responses to a series of specific oversight questions about the EPA’s failure of implementation as soon as possible. Three years later, we are sorely disappointed with the direction the Administration has taken this landmark bipartisan law,” the senators concluded. “Each of us contributed a great deal of time and energy into the Congressional reform process of TSCA… the goal of restoring public trust in the federal government’s ability to protect the public from hazardous chemicals in commerce. The senators detailed “some of the many serious problems with the actions taken by this Administration since January of 2017 – actions that have rendered the law’s implementation weaker than even before the 2016 reforms.” “Sadly, the implementation of the Lautenberg Act has deviated dramatically from Congress’ intent and the new law’s requirements,” they continued. “Those reforms were intended to address longstanding structural problems with the original 1976 law that were broadly agreed to have stymied the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to ensure that chemicals in and entering commerce are safe for human health and the environment,” the senators wrote. In their letter, the senators raised serious concerns about several steps that the Trump EPA has taken since then to undermine the intent of the law by weakening or openly violating critical safeguards, including allowing chemicals onto the market without reviewing critical information about risks to public health abandoning its responsibility to protect workers on the job ignoring real-world exposure to chemicals in our air, water, and food and withholding public access to critical health and safety information. Among the reforms included in the law were key requirements to protect vulnerable populations – including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and chemical industry workers – and to evaluate and review the safety of all new and existing chemicals on the market. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, to revamp and strengthen the badly outdated Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. ![]() Three years ago, Udall, along with Booker, Markey, Merkley, and Whitehouse, led passage of bipartisan landmark legislation, the Frank R. In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the senators demanded information about the EPA’s implementation of the law, which has gone dangerously off the rails and put public health at risk. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) sounded the alarm as the Trump administration continues to water down critical reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by undermining or skirting key provisions that were designed to protect the American public from exposure to dangerous chemicals. Three years after overwhelming, bipartisan passage of landmark legislation overhauling TSCA, senators raise concerns that Trump EPA’s implementation of the law has gone dangerously off the rails ![]() waters down revamped Toxic Substances Control Act to protect chemical industry rather than public health ![]() Udall, Booker, Markey, Merkley, & Whitehouse sound the alarm as Trump admin. ![]()
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