CEH Statement on the Vitter/Udall Chemical Safety Act of 2015
(a.k.a. Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act)
March 10, 2015
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) is warning that the proposed chemical policy bill introduced today by Senators David Vitter and Tom Udall fails to adequately address major problems in current U.S. federal policy and in some ways represents a giant step backwards in eliminating many state laws that have proven to work in protecting American children and families from toxic chemicals. Under the proposal, Americans could continue to be at risk from chemicals like formaldehyde in flooring, arsenic in rice, asbestos in dozens of products, and thousands of other chemicals that contaminate our air, water, food and everyday products.
“We are terribly disappointed that this long-awaited proposal still retains provisions that put children and families at risk,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “The Senate bill would leave EPA unable to adequately address chemical health threats, and at the same time, undermine state actions that, in the absence of federal rules, are the only protections our children have. We expect Senators who care about children’s health to make significant changes to this dangerous approach.”
Learn more at ceh.org/tsca