Sunday - May 02, 2010
Congress to Rewrite Chemical Regulations, for First Time in a Generation
Under the current 36 year old Toxic Substance Control Act manufacturers of new chemicals are not required to disclose information about chemicals used in products to the public if they deem the disclosure as potentially harming their bottom line. This weakness in the law has been exploited to the extreme over the years, so much so, that in the past several years, 95 percent of the notices for new chemicals sent to the government requested some secrecy, according to the Government Accountability Office. Not only the names of these chemicals are being kept secret but even the locations of factories that manufacture or use these chemicals can be kept secret. This high secrecy makes EPA regulation very difficult and makes it nearly impossible for consumers to know exactly what is in the products they use in daily life and how it is effecting them.
The White House, along with Environmental Groups, are hoping to see Congress remove this secrecy clause when they rewrite the bill later this year. With over 20% of the chemicals being used commercially kept secret according to the EPA, their is sure to be a strong push from manufacturers to keep the "secrecy clause" alive. Please stand up for consumer rights and let Congress know that you demand full disclosure.
For more see Washington Post Article
Posted: Sunday - May 02, 2010 at 11:12 AM
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Posted: Sunday - May 02, 2010 at 11:12 AM
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