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House Panel Tackles Chemical Legislation
July 29, 2010
Support for Reform from Scientists, Businesses, and Community Leaders (Washington, DC) – A House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee today held the first hearing on legislation to overhaul the 34-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act. The new legislation, The Toxic Chemicals Safety Act (HR-5820 Waxman/Rush), received strong support not only from environmental and public health advocates, but from a Pennsylvania manufacturer of construction products. The hearing comes after months of intensive work by the Committee with representatives of businesses, public health advocates, scientists, and community leaders. "There has never been more momentum to reform our federal chemical policy," said Andy Igrejas, Director...

Momentum Builds in Congress to Overhaul U.S. Chemicals Policy
July 22, 2010
New Bill Introduced Today Seeks to Reduce Toxic Chemical Exposure and Ensure Safety (Washington, DC) – Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) today introduced a groundbreaking bill to overhaul U.S. chemicals policy in the House Energy & Commerce Committee. The "Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010" is intended to overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which has failed to regulate chemicals in consumer products – even those that have known links to cancer, learning disabilities, asthma, reproductive disorders, and other serious health problems. "Today's legislation will reduce chronic disease in this country, a burden that scientists...

Chemical Reform Fight Goes Online; New Video Mocks PR/Lobbying Efforts by Industry
July 7, 2010
Public Health vs. Industry Debate Takes Center Stage in Pending Bill to Overhaul Toxic Substances Control Act Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families – a broad environmental and public health coalition - today released a new animated online video that exposes the chemical industry for undermining Congressional action on chemicals, even as they publicly declare their support for reform. “For the last year the chemical industry has expressed support for reform and taken bows for being forward thinking,” said Andy Igrejas, the director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. “Yet they have relentlessly attacked reform efforts in Congress. We hope to expose that...

Hundreds of Environmental & Public Health Groups Call on Congress to Address Dispersants in Overhaul of Toxic Substances Control Act
June 10, 2010
Lack of Information about Dispersants in Gulf Due to Failed Chemicals Policy, Experts Say Details on specific provisions being called for by the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition (PDF) Listen to the press teleconference A coalition of 250 environmental and public health organizations today called on Congress to include specific provisions to ensure the safety of oil spill dispersants — more than one million gallons of which have now been released into the Gulf of Mexico – in the pending bill to overhaul the 34-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Under current law, government cannot compel dispersant makers to disclose...

Statement from Andy Igrejas on Business-NGO Forum
June 3, 2010
National Campaign Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition on Forum about Safer Chemicals Policy Reform held on June 3, 2010 in Washington, DC We applaud the companies that use chemicals for deeply engaging in a day-long policy dialog about how to fix our broken federal chemical safety system. These "downstream" businesses stand to benefit greatly from new legislation to overhaul the federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). Downstream companies are on the front lines of innovation in meeting consumer demand for safer products, cleaner materials and non-toxic chemicals. This forum represents a first step to recognize the...

EPA Senior Counsel Bob Sussman to Speak to Businesses, NGO's about Transitioning to Safer Chemicals
June 1, 2010
Pending "Safe Chemicals Act" Prompts Downstream Users to Discuss Implications at Washington, DC Forum Press Invited to Sussman Speech, Thurs, June 3, 9 am - 10:30 am EST Business leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be gathering in Washington, D.C. June 3 - 4 to discuss how the proposed federal legislation to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 will affect companies who are downstream users of chemicals. The purpose of this forum is to: Hear the perspective of legislators, regulators and environmental public health advocates; Discuss the needs of downstream users, including the need for better data and...

New Study Finds Large Amounts of Dangerous Chemical BPA in Canned Foods
May 18, 2010
Urgent Need to Update Toxic Substances Control Act Greater Than Ever Before Earlier today a study was released by the National Work Group for Safe Markets showing that consumers are exposed to dangerous levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods. The study, No Silver Lining, tested 50 fish, fruits, vegetables, soups, sodas, and other cans, of which 90% had detectable levels of BPA. Exposure to low doses of BPA have been linked to illnesses that are on the rise in the US, including breast and prostate cancer, diabetes and heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductive harm, and obesity. “BPA...

Faith and Environmental groups, parents ask for protections from toxic chemicals
May 7, 2010
Parents rally for safe consumer products as bill is introduced in Congress Houston- Parents and environmental groups rallied today outside Americas Plaza in Houston’s East Side asking for stronger protections from toxic chemicals in consumer products as a bill, called the Toxic Chemical Safety Act, starts its journey in Congress. Local groups, like Air Alliance Houston, Texas Campaign for the Environment and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), are a part of a national coalition of 200 environmental and public health groups called Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, working to reform outdated federal law. Parents met around a 25-foot inflatable rubber...

President's Panel Releases Groundbreaking Report Linking Toxic Chemicals to Cancer
May 6, 2010
Pending “Safe Chemicals Act” Needs More Public Health Protections to Reduce Carcinogens in Products, Communities After an exhaustive review, the President’s Cancer Panel (PCP) today released a report identifying chemicals in the environment as a significant contributor to cancer in the United States. Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (SCHF)--a coalition representing more than 11 million health care professionals, environmental health advocates and concerned parents around the country—applauded the report and called for action on cancer-causing chemicals. “It’s official: we can’t win the war on cancer until we get serious about chemicals,” said Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, MPH, Natural Resources Defense Council,...

Landmark Chemical Legislation Introduced to Protect the Health of American Families
April 15, 2010
Coalition of 11 Million Supports Bill, But Seeks Improvements Before Enactment A broad coalition of more than 200 public health and environmental organizations announced their support for the “Safe Chemicals Act of 2010”, introduced today by Senator Lautenberg and Congressmen Waxman and Rush. The long-awaited, landmark legislation would overhaul the way the federal government protects the public from toxic chemicals. “The Safe Chemicals Act goes a long way toward bringing chemical policy into the 21st century,” said Andy Igrejas, Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, on a press teleconference held today. “We look forward to working with Congress to strengthen...