Opinion and Editorial : Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

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For Immediate Release
November 17, 2011

Safe Chemicals Act Hearing Builds Momentum for Reform

Washington, DC - Today's Senate hearing on the Safe Chemicals Act was a milestone in the reform effort. Infertility, cancer, and learning disabilities are just some of the health problems linked to toxic chemicals that touch millions of American families. Senators should know that all those families are rooting for their success when they take this issue on.

Senator Lautenberg and Senator Inhofe deserve enormous credit for the dialogue they have undertaken on reform over the last several months and the rare bipartisan atmosphere it has created for this issue on Capitol Hill. Because of that work, there is an enormous opportunity that both parties can seize to make a difference in people's lives. We're encouraged by the statements made by Senators on both sides.

"Senators Lautenberg and Inhofe deserve enormous credit for the dialogue they have undertaken on reform over the last several months..."

We were also encouraged by the very constructive comments of the Consumer Specialty Products Association which represents some of America's best known companies and brands, like Procter and Gamble and SC Johnson. Perhaps because these companies sell directly to consumers they recognize the economic costs of the current collapse of confidence in our federal safety regulations.

The only disappointment in the hearing was the comments of the American Chemistry Council, the main trade group for chemical makers. We hope members of the American Chemistry Council can soon recognize the opportunity to make progress on reform and work constructively with the committee to achieve it in a bipartisan way.

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For more information please contact Trevor FitzGibbon at 202.406.0646, Trevor@FitzGibbonMedia.com

The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition represents more than 11 million individuals and includes parents, health professionals, advocates for people with learning and developmental disabilities, reproductive health advocates, environmentalists and businesses from across the nation. For more information visit our website at www.saferchemicals.org.

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