American Chemical Society congratulates Congress on chemical regulation reform

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2016 — After years of negotiations, a bipartisan majority of Congress last night passed legislation to reform U.S. chemical regulatory laws. The American Chemical Society (ACS) joins a broad coalition of industry and environmental groups in congratulating Congress on this important achievement. The new legislation represents the first update to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) since it became law 40 years ago.

The original law is widely regarded as ineffective by environmental and consumer health organizations, as well as industry. The new legislation directs the Environmental Protection Agency to prioritize chemicals for study, empowers the agency to act to protect consumers and enables industry to foster chemical science innovation well into the 21st century.

“Chemical regulatory reform is a long-standing priority of the American Chemical Society,” says ACS Executive Director and CEO Thomas Connelly Jr., Ph.D. “The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act represents years of careful negotiation, and the Society applauds congressional members and staff for their hard work in bringing this important agreement to fruition. We look forward to working with Congress and EPA on implementation.”

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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