Senate Hearing Exposes Divide Over Chemical Safety Law

Industry leaders and Republicans in Congress again signaled their desire to hasten federal reviews of new chemicals at a Senate hearing, while an environmental health expert warned such changes will lead to more pollution and human health impacts.

The hearing, held by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Thursday, focused on the regulation of chemicals, specifically the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TSCA is a federal law under which the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates chemicals to make sure human and environmental health will be protected before chemicals are allowed onto the marketplace. Industry representatives have long called for changes to the act, which was updated in 2016 with bipartisan support, saying it is unnecessarily cumbersome and that the slow review process stifles innovation.

Environmental and health advocates, however, say it is a key defense against an onslaught of toxics that people — especially vulnerable populations like pregnant women, children, workers and frontline communities near polluting industries — are routinely exposed to.