In the latest indication of continued engagement toward reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has publicly issued a new TSCA reform “discussion draft.”
The announcement of this proposal is a starting line in the House, not the finish. Our preliminary review of the posted draft has identified very serious concerns that, if not addressed, would fail to fix key flaws in TSCA and would weaken current law.
The discussion draft has a very long way to go to yield a bill that ensures protection of public health. We hope that Chairman Shimkus’ sharing of his proposed language in draft form – initially with committee Democrats and now with other stakeholders – portends a collaborative bipartisan process that leads to such a bill.
Significant progress has been made through ongoing bipartisan negotiations in the Senate to address key concerns voiced about the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA, S. 1009) since its introduction last May by the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Senator David Vitter (R-LA).
EDF looks forward to engaging with both Republican and Democratic offices and intends to offer proposals to make needed improvements in the discussion draft and move meaningful and effective TSCA reform legislation forward.