"Lautenberg Bill Seeks To Overhaul U.S. Chemical Laws"

"After a year of working with environmental groups, government regulators and the chemical industry, a leading advocate for chemical regulation has devised a plan to remake the nation's chemical laws — a 34-year-old set of regulations that all players agree is outmoded and ineffective.

The plan, contained in legislation that Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is set to file Thursday, would require manufacturers to prove the safety of chemicals before they enter the marketplace. That would be a significant departure from current laws, which allow chemicals to be used unless the federal government can prove they cause harm to health or the environment.

'We're saying those who make the chemicals — and there are 700 new ones that come to market each year -- ought to be responsible for testing them first before they're released to the public, instead of having the EPA play detective to search and try to find problems,' Lautenberg said."

Lyndsey Layton reports for the Washington Post April 15, 2010.

See Also:

"Sen. Lautenberg Introduces Chemicals Reform Bill, Saying Current Regulation 'Is Broken'" (Greenwire)