The Value of Knowing and Caring about What’s Actually in Legislation

It looks as though the Senate is likely to vote on TSCA reform this week and the propaganda machine is in full swing. Yesterday, I took a call from New York Times columnist Joe Nocera, thinking he was writing about the legislation and what the issues were. I didn’t realize he was actually writing a column about us, instigated, as he admits, by his “old friend” at the Environmental Defense Fund’s affiliate. The column is flat wrong, but it also provides an opportunity to talk about where we are and what’s at stake.

The Senate bill would preempt states earlier, creating a regulatory “void,” in which neither federal or state governments can restrict chemicals.

A new discussion draft of the TSCA Modernization Act was unveiled late yesterday by Chairman Shimkus (R-IL) with the imprimatur as well of Chairman Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Pallone (D-NJ), and Ranking Member Tonko (D-NY). The new draft is a significant step toward a version of TSCA reform that can enjoy broad support. It’s not […]

Last night Senators Merkley (D-OR), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Booker (D-NJ) announced they were joining Senators Udall and Vitter in a new version of the controversial Senate chemical reform bill.

Just last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced a discussion draft called the Chemicals in Commerce Act, in an attempt to “reform” the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). After an initial analysis of the bill from our policy experts, it became clear that the bill does more to create rollbacks favored by […]

Making sense of the new House legislation Last Thursday, Representative Shimkus, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, unveiled new draft legislation called the Chemicals in Commerce Act. A more detailed analysis of the bill can be found here. The purpose of this blog, however, is to explore what […]

By Sarah Doll, Safer States Well, the chemical industry interests are reaching deep into their bag of tricks with the draft “Chemicals In Commerce Act” released by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) this week. Who do they think they’re fooling? This draft is a vehicle for more secrets, more safety data loopholes, and faster introduction of untested […]