It’s ‘Wait And See’ If New Federal Chemical Safety Law Will Impact State Regulations
Credit: Environmental Protection Agency
By Jill Kaufman, New England Public Radio
President Obama just singed into law a new and long awaited Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Officially called the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, it’s expected to radically change how the federal government oversees thousands of chemicals used in products and in the work place. (It was named after the New Jersey Senator who died in 2013. His main priority in his final term was a bill he coauthored to overhaul chemical safety laws.)
For decades, lawmakers, the chemical industry, and environmental advocates agreed — the law was outdated and ineffective. At the signing ceremony Wednesday, the president explained just how ineffective.