Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist.
In an op-ed published in today’s Roll Call, Dr. Lynn Goldman, Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, makes the case for why TSCA reform legislation needs to include changes to the provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that govern requirements for new chemicals prior to market entry.
The op-ed is notable for two reasons. First, it addresses a key difference between the Senate and House versions of TSCA reform legislation. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S. 697) includes numerous upgrades to Section 5 of TSCA governing new chemicals and significant new uses of existing chemicals. Dr. Goldman’s op-ed points to the critical improvements the Senate bill would make. In contrast, the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 (H.R. 2576) passed by the House of Representatives would leave Section 5 unchanged.
Second, Dr. Goldman is uniquely qualified to address this issue, having served as Assistant Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency from 1993 to 1998, overseeing the office that implements TSCA.
Dr. Goldman, a pediatrician, stresses the importance to public health of reforming how EPA reviews and regulates new chemicals prior to their entry into commerce. These provisions have never been amended since TSCA was adopted nearly 40 years ago. That’s why it’s a vital element to include in any meaningful reform of our nation’s obsolete chemical safety law.
For more on how the Senate and House TSCA legislation compare, see these earlier posts.