National alliance urges Congress to reject industry efforts to weaken nation’s chemical safety law and encourages Congress to hear from impacted communities, veterans, workers, and health professionals—not just chemical industry lobbyists
Proposed changes could weaken protections from PFAS and other toxic chemicals linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, learning disabilities, and other chronic illnesses
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, 250 organizations and groups from across the country urge leaders of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) to reject industry-led efforts to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), America’s primary chemical safety law, and encourage Congress to hear from the people, workers, and communities whose health would be most affected.
In the letter sent to EPW Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and to Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), organizations representing public health professionals, scientists, consumer advocates, environmental justice leaders, community organizations, environmental advocates, and impacted communities wrote that Congress has not yet publicly heard testimony in hearings from the people who would bear the greatest consequences of weakening the law. Those voices include veterans, workers, families, and frontline communities facing cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other illnesses linked to toxic chemical exposures, as well as states on the front lines of managing contamination, cleanup, and rising health costs.
The letter also highlights TSCA’s broad public health benefits since Congress overwhelmingly voted to modernize the law in 2016, including actions to address toxic chemicals such as asbestos, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PERC), carbon tetrachloride, and other harmful substances found in homes, schools, workplaces, consumer products, drinking water, and communities across the country.
“We urge the Committee to ensure that any proposed legislation to revise TSCA receives full and careful review and input from all interested parties,” the letter states.
“The vast majority of Americans across party lines support more protections from toxic chemical exposure and more accountability from corporate polluters. For an issue of this magnitude and importance, we urge you to not rush to mark up a bill that has not been seen by the public nor received a hearing with opportunity for testimony or comment from all interested stakeholders,” the organizations wrote.
The sign-on letter was organized by the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals, a national coalition of more than 85 organizations and networks united around one principle: put people’s health first. Together, Alliance members are working to defend TSCA against efforts to weaken it and preserve strong federal public health protections from toxic chemicals.
Quotes from Alliance members:
“Congress should not make changes to our nation’s chemical safety law to placate the chemical industry,” said Liz Hitchcock, federal policy director at Toxic-Free Future. “Americans need stronger protections from toxic chemicals, not weaker ones. Lawmakers must hear from the health professionals, veterans, workers, state leaders, and communities that would be most affected—not just the companies that profit from these chemicals.”
“Weakening our major federal chemical safety law will have predictable results: more PFAS in our drinking water, more cancer-causing chemicals in consumer products, and more toxic air pollution from plastic incinerators in our fenceline communities,” said Daniel Rosenberg, director of federal toxics policy at NRDC. “Only chemical industry lobbyists are promoting that anti-health agenda.”
“Reopening and rolling back health protections of the Toxics Substances Control Act will have real-life implications for communities like mine and those across the country that have already waited far too long for these critical safeguards. In 2016, the Toxic Substances Control Act was strengthened, leading to the ban of asbestos and dangerous paint strippers and preventing some PFAS from entering the market. There is still much more work to be done. Children continue to be exposed to lead from numerous sources, and nearly half of the country has documented PFAS contamination in their drinking water. Now is not the time to reverse progress on this life-saving law. Nurses are urging Congress to not reopen or weaken TSCA. People’s lives depend on it,” said Sarah Bucic, RN, Wilmington, DE.
“Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle overwhelmingly supported improvements to the Toxic Substances Control Act in 2016 to better protect us from toxic chemicals found in the products we use every day, the air we breathe, and the environment around us,” said Suhani Chitalia, director for federal affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “More than four in five voters across party lines support these protections and understand the serious risks that come from toxics. We must remain focused on safeguarding the health of families, workers, and communities.”
“Ten years ago, when all sides believed TSCA needed reform, Congress held multiple hearings over multiple years,” said Daniel Savery, senior legislative representative at Earthjustice Action. “Today, when the chemical lobby is trying to take advantage of the political moment to gut the law, Congress must not rush its process. Our elected officials must hear from the public—in a public hearing—on any legislative proposal they are considering. It is only by hearing directly from communities, workers, families, and health experts that Congress will know if it is considering changes to TSCA that reflect the needs of the people the law is meant to protect.”
“Preventing breast cancer—which is rising among younger women and remains far too common in the United States—means preventing exposure to harmful chemicals whenever possible,” said Nancy Buermeyer, director of program and policy at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. “Now is not the time to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act or roll back federal protections against cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals that can increase the risk of breast cancer and other serious diseases.”
“Strong chemical safety reviews protect families from hazardous chemicals before they reach the market,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. “Weakening TSCA doesn’t cut red tape. It makes it easier for toxic chemicals to end up in our homes, our drinking water, and our bodies.”
“States have long led the way in protecting people from harmful chemicals, often stepping in when federal action has fallen short,” said Gretchen Salter, policy director at Safer States. “Congress should reject the chemical industry’s effort to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act and instead protect the strong federal safeguards that help keep communities safe. Before considering any changes to this critical law, lawmakers should hear from the states that are on the front lines of protecting public health.”
“Strong chemical safety laws are life and death for communities living near chemicals and plastic production facilities,” said Dr. Jamala Djinn, science and policy advisor at Break Free From Plastic. “Congress must not move forward with any revisions to TSCA without meaningfully consulting these communities first. Innovation cannot come at the cost of chemotherapy appointments and respiratory issues for those Americans who cannot afford a full-time lobbyist.”
“People who are most directly harmed and suffer disproportionate health effects from chemical exposures have a right to be heard and respected,” said Pamela Miller, executive director and senior scientist with Alaska Community Action on Toxics. ”In the north and Arctic, Indigenous Peoples have some of the highest exposures to persistent and toxic chemicals of any population on Earth and consequent health disparities. Congress must take measures to strengthen TSCA rather than weaken it at the behest of the chemical industry.”
“This issue boils down to one thing and one thing only—will Congress say no to weakening a law that stands between toxic chemicals exposure and more health damage for families across the country?” said Cindy Luppi, senior director for state policy and program at Clean Water Action. “At the very least, there needs to be an open, transparent process where health experts, community leaders experiencing toxic chemical impacts, and toxicologists with a grasp of modern science share their perspectives. Listening to the chemical lobby in isolation will not paint an accurate picture of the human cost of further weakening any safeguards in this policy.”
“The 2016 bipartisan Lautenberg Amendments were the result of years of hearings, negotiations, and compromise. Using the 10-year expiration of the fee provision as leverage to amend TSCA is a cynical strategy by the chemical industry to try to claw back compromises made, such as the requirement that all new chemicals undergo an EPA risk evaluation before they can enter commerce, that EPA consider all reasonably foreseeable exposures, including spills and disposal, and that EPA consider exposures to susceptible subpopulations, including workers and fenceline communities,” said Thomas R. Fox, senior legislative counsel, Center for Environmental Health. “At the very least, the Senate EPW Committee must hold a legislative hearing on any proposed TSCA amendments to hear from communities impacted by toxic chemicals.”
“Confidence in the products our member companies produce is critical. Fundamental to that confidence is the knowledge that the chemicals used in those products are safe,” Martin Wolf, senior advisor on safer chemicals and circular economy with American Sustainable Business Network. “Weakening the safety standards in the Toxic Substances Control Act will undermine consumer confidence and undermine our member businesses. Congress should fund EPA adequately.”
“As a nurse who has worked with children with cancer, with not only infants born with cancer, but high school students creating their own cancer support group, I cannot support reversing or rolling back, in any way, the Toxic Substances Control Act. I do not believe the majority of Americans would support this, and especially not those in the hallways of oncology inpatient hospital wards where children are being treated for the many cancers on the rise today. I am sure those who established this did so in good faith that Americans deserve to live in an environment safe from harm. We need stronger laws to protect future generations who are already expected to clean up industry’s mess, and pay for the added burden to find cures for the increasing rates of cancer and diseases we, as nurses, see and care for in our patients. We urge Congress to not weaken or reopen the Toxic Substances Control Act,” said Heidi Adelsman, RN, Minneapolis, MN.
About the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals
The Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals is a national coalition of more than 85 organizations and networks united around the principle: put people’s health first. The Alliance fights for national protections to prevent harm from toxic chemicals that contribute to cancer, infertility, learning disabilities, and other health challenges. We work for justice and health for all, wherever you live, work, and play.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
For the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals: Stephanie Stohler, [email protected] For ACAT: Pamela Miller, [email protected]
For BCPP: Erika Wilhelm, [email protected]
For BFFP: Brett Nadrich, [email protected]
For CEH: Joanna Lee, [email protected]
For Earthjustice: Tylar Greene, [email protected]
For EDF: Cecile Brown, [email protected]
For EWG: Monica Amarelo, [email protected]
For NRDC: Margie Kelly, [email protected]
For Toxic-Free Future and Safer States: Stephanie Stohler, [email protected]
