TSCA and REACH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TSCA and REACH - Essay Example However, the Congress has received two bills addressing TSCA reform and will deliberate on them soon. Here, TSCA is compared to chemical regulations in other nations, and arguments for and against its reform are presented. Chemical safety in the United States has garnered bipartisan support. Currently, there are two pieces of legislation introduced to Congress that address TSCA reform: the Alan Reinstein and Trevor Schaefer Toxic Chemical Protection Act, drafted by Senators Barbara Boxer and Edward Markey, and the Frank R Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, drafted by Senators David Udall and Tom Vitter. Each bill distributes the priorities of the EPA in different ways. The Boxer and Markey legislation prioritized public health, required the EPA to review chemicals more quickly, and ensured that the EPA’s chemical assessments were aligned with the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences. Boxer and Markey’s bill would also preserve the states’ authority to restrict chemical use and enforce federal restrictions under state law. On the other hand, the language of the Vitter and Udall bill appears to favor industry, allowing the EPA up to seven years to re view each substance (Chemical Watch 2015). Although the future of chemical reform in the United States is uncertain, these two bills addressing the need for TSCA reform are certainly a step in the right direction. In the early 1970’s, there was increasing concern about industrial compounds and their potential adverse effects on the environment and human health. Research on industrial substances and potential harmful effects, such as fluorocarbons found in aerosols and their effects on the earth’s stratosphere were well underway (Markell 2010). Bischloromethylether (BCME), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was ubiquitously