CRS Report Published on Chemical Regulation Issues for 113th Congress
TSCA Reform: Last week, the Congressional Research Service (“CRS”) released a new report previewing chemical regulation issues for the 113th Congress. According to CRS, lawmakers are likely to prioritize legislative priorities that languished in the last Congress, like bills that would require increased public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing as well as a proposal […]
CBO Estimates Senator Lautenberg's TSCA Reform Bill Would Cost $128 Million over the Next Five Years
TSCA Reform: On Tuesday, October 2, the Congressional Budget Office published its evaluation of the costs of implementing the amended version of S.847, The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, which is Senator Lautenberg’s latest attempt to amend the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Readers will recall that the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works passed the amended bill on […]
TSCA Reform Bill Headed to Full Senate
TSCA Reform: On July 25, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works passed a 174-page, substantially revised version of Senator Lautenberg’s 2011 Safe Chemicals Act (S.847). The bill was approved along party lines, with all Republicans voting against it. It will now move to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. Since the bill […]
Update on TSCA "Reform" – The Summer of Bipartisan Consensus?
TSCA Reform: Whether you think the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) needs to be “reformed,” “modernized,” “updated” or simply left alone, you’re probably interested in knowing where Congressional efforts to amend the statute currently stand. Here’s a short update, which is based on our latest understanding. If others have additional details or insights, please feel […]
EPA Announces More Muscular Use of TSCA Section 6
TSCA/Section 6 restrictions: June 7, 2012 Jim Jones, Acting Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, announced that EPA plans to use TSCA §6 to ban or restrict the use of chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk. This is an extension of the Administrator’s 2009 Comprehensive Approach to Enhance the Agency’s Current Chemical’s Management […]
Environmental Advocates Want Disclosure of Chemicals in Consumer Products
Chemicals in Consumer Products: Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute argue that the findings of their consumer product evaluation illustrate the need for full disclosure of ingredient information. The Institute tested consumer products — ranging from toothpaste to laundry detergent — for compounds identified as either endocrine disruptors or asthma-related. Most products evaluated by the […]
EPA Budget Would Increase Spending on Chemical Assessment and Control
EPA Budget/Chemical Control According to an EPA press release, today the Obama Administration proposed a FY 2013 budget of $8.344 billion for the agency. The budget is $105 million below the EPA’s enacted level for FY 2012, but it increases spending by $11 million, or approximately 16%, to “protect … Americans from harmful chemicals.” This increase for chemical […]
EPA Assistant Administrator Steve Owens Resigns
EPA Administration/Chemical Regulation: On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the resignation of Assistant Administrator Steve Owens. Readers will recall that President Obama appointed Mr. Owens the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), which is the office implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal […]
Upcoming Event: Chemical Regulation in Canada – Lessons for U.S. Reforms
TSCA/CEPA: Readers attending the ABA’s meeting in Toronto in August may be interested in the following event concerning the Canadian system for regulating industrial chemicals and lessons that system may offer the United States as it debates TSCA Reform. A short description is embedded below, and more information about the annual meeting is available here. The […]
Senator Lautenberg Continues in His Quest to Reform TSCA
TSCA Reform: Guest Columnist: Irene Hantman University of Maryland Law Fellow US EPA Office of Civil Enforcement Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division On April 14, 2011, Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced the 2011 Safe Chemicals Act (2011 SCA), almost a year after he introduced a similar bill (S. 3209) that failed to garner sufficient […]