![]() ![]() But the law placed demands on the EPA that were so tough, so onerous that it became virtually impossible to actually see if those chemicals were harming anybody.” “In 1976, some 62,000 chemicals were already on the market. When he signed Lautenberg into law, President Barack Obama explained why the changes were needed: ![]() It doesn’t have to be this way.īy amending TSCA in 2016, Congress required the EPA to review the risks of all new chemicals and significant new uses of those chemicals, before they are allowed on the U.S. Thousands more suffer and die years later from diseases associated with the chemicals they handled in their younger years. So why does it seem like the agency is turning a blind eye and inviting disaster? The Lautenberg Act Was Supposed to Help Workers, Not Quarterly EarningsĮvery year, workers are injured or killed because they are exposed to dangerous chemicals on the job. Republican and Democratic legislators joined forces to give the EPA the power to prevent another tragedy like asbestos. ![]() In fact, environmental advocates and labor groups have found that the EPA’s approach to implementing Lautenberg is dangerous, illegal, and short-sighted. Under the current administration, the agency appears determined not to follow the path set out by Congress. Instead of waiting for disaster, the EPA could better act as a critical first line of defense for the public health. The agency was tasked to review of all the chemicals on the market and screen new chemicals for long-term risks. With the Lautenberg Act signed into law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was given new authority to regulate toxic chemicals. Lawmakers put aside their differences and corrected some of the most dangerous flaws in the old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Lautenberg Act, as the bill became known, was a rare triumph in polarized times. In 2016, Congress came together to amend the 50-year-old chemical safety laws. ![]()
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