EDF Health

Immaculate Deception: New “Coalition for Chemical Safety” is actually an industry front group

By / Published: October 26, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

It’s got pictures of kids and families. People of all colors. Gentle hands cradling our fragile planet. A hard hat resting on a pair of worn work gloves and a hammer. It says the coalition is “people like you.” It bears an uncanny resemblance to the website of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, of which EDF is a founding member. But dig deeper and you’ll discover that the website of the “Coalition for Chemical Safety” is actually created and run by industry. Read More »

Also posted in Industry influence, TSCA reform / Tagged Front group, Industry tactics, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, States | Authors: rdenison / Read 5 Responses

ChAMP “superseded”: EPA shifts into action mode

By / Published: October 1, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

A new entry showed up sometime in the last day on EPA’s webpage for its ChAMP initiative. It reads: “The Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP) has been superseded by the comprehensive approach to enhancing the Agency’s current chemicals management program announced by Administrator Lisa Jackson on September 29, 2009.”

Don’t miss this bit at the top of the page:

Yes, that image is a cobweb, which EPA uses to designate archived web content. What’s happening here? Read More »

Also posted in Regulation / Tagged Bisphenol A (BPA), Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), Data requirements, Hazard, High Production Volume (HPV), IUR/CDR, Lead, Mercury, PBDEs, Phthalates, Risk assessment | Comments are closed

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: EPA Antes Up on TSCA Reform

By / Published: September 29, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson unveiled the Obama Administration’s “Essential Principles for Reform of Chemicals Management Legislation.” The principles’ significance lies not so much in the words they contain, but rather in what they symbolize: A clear confirmation that this Administration understands that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) needs fundamental reform and that it is ready and willing to engage in making it happen. Read More »

Also posted in TSCA reform / Tagged American Chemistry Council (ACC), Data requirements, Risk assessment, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families | Comments are closed

Talk about over-reaching: Anti-REACH screed gets nearly everything wrong

By / Published: August 26, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

In an opinion piece titled “Chemical regulators have overreached” in the August 27, 2009 issue of Nature, two prominent animal welfare advocates claim that vastly larger numbers of chemicals will have to be tested under the European Union’s REACH regulation than previously estimated, and hence that 20 times more laboratory animals will be sacrificed. They call for a moratorium on some animal tests. Well, a closer look reveals that it’s the opiners themselves that have greatly overreached.

[Update 8/28: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has just issued this press release also disputing the findings of this new study.]

Posted in Health policy / Tagged Computational toxicology, Endocrine disruption, EU REACH, High Production Volume (HPV), In vitro, Risk assessment | Read 5 Responses

The nanotube SNURs: Nano step forward, nano step back

By / Published: August 21, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

In June, EPA published a Federal Register notice that included Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) for two carbon nanotubes (as well as 21 other chemicals). That notice certainly got the attention of lawyers in town (see here, here and here). The nanotube SNURs would require anyone planning to produce or process either of the two substances to notify EPA if the person intended not to comply with the (rather limited) risk management conditions specified by EPA. Well, as reported yesterday by Sara Goodman of E&E News, EPA is now withdrawing the SNURs, at least temporarily.

Read More »

Also posted in Nanotechnology, Regulation / Tagged Carbon nanotubes, Chemical identity, Confidential Business Information (CBI), Risk assessment, Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) | Read 3 Responses

Let the games begin: Dueling TSCA reform manifestos

By / Published: August 4, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) unveiled its “10 Principles for Modernizing TSCA.” Also today, the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition – of which EDF is a member – issued a news release and unveiled its 9-point “Platform for Reform of TSCA.” How do they line up? Read More »

Also posted in TSCA reform / Tagged Aggregate exposure, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Data requirements, Exposure and hazard, Formaldehyde, Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT), Prioritization, Risk assessment, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families | Read 6 Responses

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