On Wednesday, March 18, 2015, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on S. 697, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The following individuals testified during the hearing: James Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Dr. Richard Denison, Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Edward McCabe, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, March of Dimes Foundation; Dr. Lynn Goldman, Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University; Ken Cook, President and Co-founder, Environmental Working Group; and The Honorable Brian E. Frosh, Attorney General, State of Maryland. In addition, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mrs. Bonnie Lautenberg provided statements. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s (B&C®) summary analysis of the hearing is available online.
While biobased chemicals were not discussed, they were at least mentioned. Specifically, Senator Debra Fischer (R-NE) asked Jones whether biobased chemicals could be considered "low priority" under S. 697. The response was predictably vague, but the fact that the question was asked is noteworthy.
B&C has posted a comprehensive analysis of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which includes significant changes to the current Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) framework. The analysis includes an overview of critical modifications from previous bills, as well as commentary on the politics surrounding the bill's introduction.
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