Key House lawmakers are set to introduce this week a bill reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which will be based on a widely circulated discussion draft but could incorporate suggestions brought up in recent stakeholder meetings.
Sources say the bill is slated for introduction by House Democrats on July 15 and will be based on a discussion draft floated by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and commerce panel chairman Bobby Rush (D-IL) in April.
The sources say the bill will also incorporate changes from an extensive series of stakeholder discussions held this spring and, on the eve of its introduction, some in industry say that it is important for suggestions from the talks to be reflected in the bill to justify further industry participation in the process.
Sources says there are also plans for a July 22 hearing on the bill, which is scheduled to include testimony
from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and representatives from environmentalist groups and industry.
Despite new action on the bill, few expect Congress to pass a bill this year. EPA toxics chief Steve Owens has said that action on a bill is "unlikely" this Congress.
Moreover, since the release of the draft bill earlier this year, industry have raised myriad concerns with the broad reach of the draft bill. Many in industry have also suggested potential GOP gains in the House in November's mid-term elections as one way to influence the legislation and address their concerns with the draft. A Republican House takeover, or significant GOP gains, could make it harder for Democrats to pass TSCA reform without moderating it to win sufficient votes from the GOP, sources said earlier this summer.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced companion legislation in the Senate, but has yet to hold hearings on the topic. Activists have long been pushing for TSCA to be reformed to switch the burden of proof from EPA proving chemicals pose an "unreasonable risk" to industry proving that chemicals are safe.
SOURCE: InsideEPA.com
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