Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist.
Senior officials from a diverse group of eight prominent national public health, environmental, labor, wildlife, and animal welfare organizations sent a letter today to Senate leaders urging them to act on the Senate’s bipartisan chemical safety reform legislation.
The organizations, which collectively represent more than 25 million Americans, are:
- Environmental Defense Fund
- The Humane Society of the United States
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
- March of Dimes
- Moms Clean Air Force
- National Wildlife Federation
- North America’s Building Trades Unions
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
The letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid, requests that they bring the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act to the floor of the Senate for a vote as soon as possible. The Lautenberg Act, S. 697, is the bipartisan legislation to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the nation’s primary chemical safety law, which is nearly 40 years old and widely acknowledged to be badly broken.
The Lautenberg Act was introduced in the Senate in March and passed in revised form out of the Environment and Public Works Committee in April on a strong bipartisan vote. With 52 cosponsors hailing from 33 states, the bill is poised to receive strong support on the Senate floor. The groups noted that the bill represents an historic opportunity to update and strengthen our chemical safety and better protect American families, workers, wildlife and the environment.
The diverse nature of the organizations signing the letter urging passage of the Lautenberg Act is testament to the broad consensus as to both the need for TSCA reform and the strength of the legislation.
The joint letter is available here. For more background on the Lautenberg Act and how it would address the key flaws of TSCA, click here.