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Washington, D.C. – In response to the announcement of a final bicameral agreement to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act, LCV president Gene Karpinski issued the following statement:
“For far too long, our nation’s broken chemical law has allowed toxic chemicals into our homes and workplaces, putting the health of all Americans in jeopardy and contributing to a dramatic rise in health problems like cancer, infertility, and learning disabilities. Reforming this 40 year-old law has been a monumental and challenging task. The final bill is very much a compromise, but we believe it is an important step forward for public health because it provides new tools for the Environmental Protection Agency to get dangerous chemicals out of the marketplace. Unfortunately, some state authorities to regulate chemicals were traded away along with new restrictions on EPA’s ability to regulate imported products. We commend all the members of Congress who have worked for years to remove the barriers to action at the federal level and safeguard those most vulnerable from harmful chemical exposure. As we now turn toward implementation of this new regulatory system, we will work hard to ensure that the imperative to truly protect public health and the environment guides all decisions and actions.”
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