The Senate last night gave final passage to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The legislation now goes to the President, who has said he plans to sign it into law. Sen. Chuck Grassley made the following comment on the bill.
“This is a good example of where the business community and many members of the environmental community can find common ground, resulting in well-thought-out, bipartisan legislation that enjoys broad support. And, it’s another good example of how the Republican leadership is getting things done. Everyone agrees the current Toxic Substance Control Act is broken. It’s cumbersome for the EPA and doesn’t do a good job of regulating dangerous substances. Businesses would like a more transparent process where they have clarity and certainty about whether a substance is approved in a timely fashion. The new bill requires the EPA to set priorities for substances with the greatest likelihood of presenting a risk to the public and establishes a process that’s both effective and not unnecessarily onerous on companies so that beneficial products can get to market. This will help both job creation and retention and environmental concerns.”
