Obama to sign toxic chemical rules; 1st overhaul in 40 years

“Even the best law will be meaningless if EPA doesn’t have the resources needed to review the hundreds of unsafe chemicals already on the market”, wrote Melanie Benesh for the Environmental Working Group.

“The updated law gives EPA the authorities we need to protect American families from the health effects of risky chemicals”, Ms. McCarthy said in a statement.

Most Americans believe that chemicals in products they buy in the store are approved for safety.

The bipartisan legislation updated rules for tens of thousands of everyday chemicals as well as setting safety standards for more unsafe chemicals such as formaldehyde, asbestos, and styrene. In recent years, many Republicans have worked to pull funding for the Environmental Protection Agency or eliminate it entirely.

“If there are other means of doing this without torturing and injecting bunny rabbits and the like, you have to use those other measures”, said Booker. Now, after years of back and forth, both the House and Senate have finally passed a compromise bill, which the President is expected to sign by the end of the month. To be more specific, we’re talking about detergents, paint thinners, cleansers, clothing and even automobiles.

“There was such strong support for this”, Udall said.

The president is thanking chemical industry groups for supporting the legislation.

One major weakness in the reform bill is how slow the process would work. The amendments will re-invigorate the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) program for controlling risks to human health and the environment from chemical substances.

Rep. Green added, “President Barack Obama’s signature of the act into law marks a tremendous accomplishment and represents what can be done when leaders in Washington work together”. The new legislation reflects scientific and technological advances and helps ensure that a uniform federal policy will regulate chemicals across all 50 states. But the Environmental Working Group estimates that it could take 35 years to perform those assessments and implement new regulations.

“For the first time in 20 years, we are updating a national environmental statute”. “So this is a really significant piece of business”. Locke pushed the agreement through the legislature with bipartisan support.

People voiced their displeasure at the racist signs for Rick Tyler, a third-party candidate for Tennessee’s 3rd District seat, including one that showed Confederate flags flying over the White House. This bill fixes that flawed provision. Now more than ever, it’s important of all of us to carefully read the labels, to hold companies accountable for using risky chemicals, to send letters and call our elected officials and federal and state regulators, and talk to our friends and families about how to protect our health from toxic chemicals.