Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Senate to Hold TSCA Safe Chemicals Act Hearing This Week

Maybe the idea of TSCA reform isn't quite dead for this Congress.  A hearing will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011 in the US Senate to examine the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, a bill introduced early in the year by Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg.  The hearing, to be chaired by Lautenberg and supported by ranking Republican member James Inhofe, includes both the full and subcommittees of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee (EPW).

The hearing follows on a series of five stakeholder meetings held between EPW staff and both industry and environmental advocacy groups.  It is the first sign in quite a while of potential movement in the seemingly futile attempt to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The lack of movement is despite support for TSCA reform by both industry and advocacy groups.

Scheduled to provide testimony at the hearing are:

Mr. Ted Sturdevant
Director, Department of Ecology
State of Washington


Ms. Charlotte Brody
Director of Chemicals, Public Health and Green Chemistry
BlueGreen Alliance


Mr. Cal Dooley
President and CEO
American Chemistry Council


Mr. Robert Matthews
McKenna Long & Aldridge


Dr. Richard Denison, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Environmental Defense Fund


More information on the hearing can be found on the EPW web site.