"House Committee To Discuss Draft Chemical Reform Bill"

"The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy will hold a legislative hearing next week to discuss the draft of a House bill to reform the nation’s toxic chemical laws.

The TSCA Modernization Act aims to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act, which is widely viewed as unenforceable.  Lawmakers have already introduced two competing bills to reform the decades-old law in the Senate. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) are behind the Alan Reinstein and Trevor Schaefer Toxic Chemical Protection Act while Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter are pushing a bill named after the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. The fight has been heated at times with Boxer and Markey accusing Udall and Vitter of letting industry daft their legislation, which they argue gives the EPA the authority to regulate any of the 84,000 chemicals in commerce.

The House bill according to the committee chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) would provide a new system by which the Environmental Protection Agency can evaluate risks associated with chemicals already on the market."

Lydia Wheeler reports for The Hill April 7, 2015.