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Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), plans Wednesday to introduce what he hopes will be signature legislation for his final term in office – a bill aimed at ensuring the safety of the many chemicals that Americans come in contact with every day.

The measure would give regulatory officials the authority to evaluate the safety of the flame retardants in couches, the phthalate compounds responsible for the smell of new vinyl shower curtains, the bisphenol A that protects food in cans, and other chemicals of concern in common household products.

Lautenberg’s legislation would update the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA. Environmental groups, public-health advocates, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials and the chemical industry have called for reform.

But the bill will likely face heavy opposition from industry. Scott Jensen, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, said the version of the legislation he is familiar with has “serious deficiencies” that would make a complicated program “even more complex.”

Lautenberg, 89, who has said he would not seek reelection in two years, has been missing Senate votes in recent months for health reasons. His staff said he was not available for an interview.

In a prepared statement, Lautenberg said that “American families deserve to know that the chemicals found in everyday products are safe. But because of our broken laws, toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other serious diseases make their way into our homes on a daily basis.”

Environmental and public-health groups praised the legislation. Supporters include the National Medical Association, American Nurses Association, United Steelworkers, and the Breast Cancer Fund.

TSCA is the only significant environmental legislation of the 1970s that has not been updated.

When it was passed, TSCA grandfathered in about 60,000 chemicals. Now, more than 80,000 chemicals are in common use. The EPA can call for safety testing only after evidence of potential danger. The EPA has been able to require testing on only about 200 chemicals, and has regulated or banned five.

Lautenberg has been working on TSCA reform since 2005. Last year, his proposed legislation gained committee approval. But it passed out of committee late in the congressional schedule and never made it to the floor.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) is the lead cosponsor, joined by at least 27 Democrats, including Robert Menendez (D., N.J.)

With the proposed legislation, the EPA would be better able to collect health and safety information on chemicals, prioritize them based on risk, screen them for safety, and require risk management – including labeling, restrictions on use, and bans – when chemicals cannot be proven safe, Lautenberg’s office said.

Proponents say that he incorporated provisions to address many of industry’s concerns while the bill was in committee.

But they contend that while the chemical lobby has supported changes to the law in general, it has dragged its feet, perhaps hoping that the bill never makes it to the floor – where it would be difficult for legislators to vote, in effect, against chemical safety.