TSCA Reform: Understanding the Science, Implementation, and Implications of the New Chemical Safety Act
1:00 pm US Eastern Time
Slides & Resources
Resources
Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Congress.gov
The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. US Environmental Protection Agency.
President Obama signs the Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. White House YouTube station.
After decades of debate on the shortcomings of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, President Obama signed the Frank R Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law on June 22, 2016. The new law is intended to improve public health by more effectively protecting the population from harmful toxic chemicals. Its provisions include positive features such as strengthening the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate chemicals based on health and environmental factors with an explicit recognition of the impact to vulnerable populations. Some, however, are concerned it doesn’t go far enough in truly safeguarding the American public from toxic exposures.
On this call, we focused on the role of science in the new regulatory standard for assessing chemical safety, certain aspects of the implementation process, and the implications of the law particularly for vulnerable communities.
Featured Speakers
Daniel Rosenberg is a senior attorney for the Health and Environment Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. His focus is ensuring federal and state authorities have the ability to regulate toxic chemicals. Daniel served as environmental counsel to Senator Frank Lautenberg and has 5 years of experience working on the NRDC’s Water program to protect wetlands. Daniel earned his degree from Georgetown University’s Law Center.
Mike Belliveau is the executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center and serves as Senior Advisor to Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, which led the public interest campaign for TSCA reform. He is nationally recognized for promoting environmental health and Green Chemistry and has advanced harm prevention for 30 years. Through Mike’s leadership of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, the state of Maine set the national pace for regulating toxic chemicals. Mike co-founded the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine and co-founded the State Alliance for Federal Reform (SAFER), a multi-state coalition working to overhaul chemical policy throughout the United States. At the Strategy Center, Mike has focused on sustainable bioplastics to create green jobs and boost rural economies. Mike has an environmental science degree from MIT.
Cecil Corbin-Mark is WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s deputy director and director of Policy Initiatives. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College in Political Science and a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Oxford University in England. Cecil sits on the boards of the Center for Environmental Health, Clean and Healthy New York, West Harlem Development Corp, and Friends of the Earth US. In 2010, he received the Earth Day NY Award. A father and pilot, Cecil lives in Hamilton Heights West Harlem in NYC, his family’s home for almost 90 years. His passion for justice comes from his family’s engagement in the Civil Rights movement. His great uncle and aunt Louis E., and Dorothy Burnham moved from Harlem to Birmingham to launch the Southern Negro Youth Congress and his cousin represented professor and Civil Rights activist, Angela Y. Davis, in her trial for kidnapping, murder, and conspiracy.
This call lasted for 1 hour and was moderated by Elise Miller, MEd, CHE’s Director. The call was recorded for CHE’s archives.
