New Proposal In Congress Would Gut Key Provisions Of Landmark Chemical Safety Law, Putting Families' Health At Risk

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- A new U.S. Senate draft bill would dismantle core protections of the nation's main chemical safety law and make it easier for toxic chemicals to enter homes, schools, and workplaces, according to the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals, a national coalition of organizations and networks.

The group issued an urgent warning following the release of draft legislation to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the bipartisan law Congress overhauled in 2016. The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) has announced a hearing on the discussion draft scheduled for March 4, 2026.

A separate U.S. House proposal that would gut TSCA surfaced in January, signaling a coordinated effort to roll back protections against toxic chemicals and undermine the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to protect public health.

The new proposals would:
-Allow more dangerous chemicals onto the market without meaningful EPA review and approval.
-Give the chemical industry more power to override independent science and health protections for families, workers, and communities.
-Allow loopholes for toxic chemicals.
-Undermine the ability of states to protect their residents, drinking water, and food from toxic chemicals.

“Children's health must come first, yet the chemical industry is now lobbying to weaken the chemical law that protects our families,” said the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals in a joint statement.“Rolling back chemical safety protections will make it harder to keep toxic chemicals linked to cancer, learning disabilities, and infertility out of our lives. Americans should be able to trust that any chemicals in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities won't make them sick.”

Public support for chemical safety protections remains strong across party lines, with overwhelming bipartisan backing for EPA's authority to review and restrict dangerous chemicals. The Alliance noted that rolling back TSCA would not only increase health risks but also create uncertainty for businesses that have already adapted to the law's requirements.

The Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals brings together leading organizations and networks in a coordinated effort to defend TSCA from rollbacks and fight for strong health protections from toxic chemicals. Passage of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act in 2016 with overwhelming bipartisan support modernized TSCA to ensure that new chemicals are reviewed for safety before entering the marketplace and that EPA can act on dangerous chemicals that harm the health of children, workers, and communities. Since then, EPA has used this authority to ban deadly asbestos and methylene chloride, restrict cancer-causing chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE), and block certain PFAS from entering commerce.

About the Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals
The Alliance for Health and Safe Chemicals is a national coalition of organizations and networks united around the principle: put people's health first. The Alliance fights for national protections to prevent harm from toxic chemicals that contribute to cancer, infertility, learning disabilities, and other health challenges. We work for justice and health for all, wherever you live, work, and play.

The Alliance is a growing coalition of nearly 40 local, state, and national organizations including: Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Sustainable Business Network, Beyond Plastics, Break Free From Plastics, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, CASE Citizens Alliance for a Sustainable Englewood, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Public Environmental Oversight, Cherokee Concerned Citizens, Clean+Healthy, Clean Air Council, Clean Beauty for Black Girls, Clean Cape Fear, Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Earthjustice, Ecology Center, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working Group, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Green Science Policy Institute, League of Conservation Voters, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, Moms Clean Air Force, Move Past Plastic (MPPP), Newburgh Clean Water Project, NRDC, Oregon Environmental Council, PFOAProjectNY, Puget Soundkeeper, Safer States, Save Our Water O, Toxic-Free Future, Vermont Conservation Voters, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Waterspirit, and Zero Waste Ithaca.

For additional quotes from alliance members and more information:

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