Sen. Lautenberg Introduces Toxic Chemical Overhaul
Americans need a law that will keep them safe from toxic chemicals—before they are allowed to enter the market. And that’s why we should be thanking Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Today, Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), joined by 27 other senators, introduced the “Safe Chemicals Act of 2013,” a landmark bill that seeks…
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Americans need a law that will keep them safe from toxic chemicals—before they are allowed to enter the market.
And that’s why we should be thanking Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
Today, Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), joined by 27 other senators, introduced the “Safe Chemicals Act of 2013,” a landmark bill that seeks to protect families in America from exposure to harmful chemicals.
Sen. Lautenberg has been dogged in his determination to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, an outdated chemical policy. He has sponsored this legislation numerous times during his Congressional career. His proposal would strengthen the authority of the EPA to learn more about the safety of chemicals and limit their use if they pose a threat to public health and the environment.
Sen. Lautenberg said:
American families deserve to know that the chemicals found in everyday products are safe. But because of our broken laws, toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other serious diseases make their way into our homes on a daily basis.
The Safe Chemicals Act will ensure that all chemicals are screened for safety and that unsafe uses of chemicals are banned.
It’s time to break away from the chemical industry lobbyists and listen to concerned parents, pediatricians, and nurses who are demanding change. Just like Big Tobacco, the chemical lobby and their allies are working to pad their profits at the expense of the health and well-being of Americans.
Now the tide is turning for greater transparency, improved testing and better health protections and we’re determined to pass our bill in this Congress.
Andrea Delgado, Legislative Representative for Earthjustice, said:
From Maine to Florida, Oregon to Minnesota, 29 senators are standing with the 77 percent of Americans who support reform that will protect us from toxic chemicals before they enter our homes and workplaces.
We applaud senators Lautenberg and Gillibrand for leading the charge to safeguard the health and safety of all families in America, and urge their colleagues in Congress to follow suit.
Raviya was a press secretary at Earthjustice in the Washington, D.C. office from 2008 to 2014, working on issues including federal rulemakings, energy efficiency laws and coal ash pollution.
Earthjustice’s Washington, D.C., office works at the federal level to prevent air and water pollution, combat climate change, and protect natural areas. We also work with communities in the Mid-Atlantic region and elsewhere to address severe local environmental health problems, including exposures to dangerous air contaminants in toxic hot spots, sewage backups and overflows, chemical disasters, and contamination of drinking water. The D.C. office has been in operation since 1978.