Chemical industry aims for ‘surgical tweaks’ to chemicals law

By Ellie Borst | 09/04/2024 01:27 PM EDT

The American Chemistry Council wants to address implementation concerns and “regulatory uncertainty.” Others say the effort is premature.

Scientist filling tubes with blue liquid

A scientist fills test tubes. Industry groups are interested in pushing for reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act. Shutterstock

The chemicals industry is mobilizing to push for changes to the major bipartisan federal toxics law it lobbied for and championed eight years ago.

American Chemistry Council President and CEO Chris Jahn said the trade association “would support surgical tweaks that would improve the implementation” of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

“We’re not interested in reopening the whole thing,” he added. “It took 10 years to get that bill done. We can’t wait 10 years to fix it.”

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EPA’s top chemicals official, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff, however, said “those conversations are quite premature.”

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