06.23.16
Yesterday, with the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) in attendance, President Obama signed legislation to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act, which will provide EPA with new authority to regulate chemicals that were on the market before 1976 and also new chemicals entering the marketplace. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act was signed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC before a small group of leaders from government, industry and NGOs.
In remarks before the signing, President Obama said the new legislation “will make it easier for the EPA to review chemicals already on the market, as well as the new chemicals our scientists and our businesses design. It will do away with an outdated bureaucratic formula to evaluate safety, and instead focus solely on the risks to our health. And it will finally grant our scientists and our public servants at the EPA the funding they need to get the job done and keep us safe.”
Obama thanked the Members of Congress, trade groups, industry and NGOs and praised the bipartisan effort where Democrats and Republicans came together to get legislation written and passed. “That doesn’t happen very often these days,” said the President. “So this is a really significant piece of business.”
Chris Cathcart, president and CEO of CSPA said, “We are proud of the role we have played in the process of TSCA modernization over the past eight years. Hard work and a commitment to collaboration have resulted in legislation that is good for consumers and for our members as well.”
In addition to Cathcart, also attending the signing ceremony were CSPA Board Chair Bill Auriemma (Diversified CPC), Immediate Past Chair Paul Siracusa (Church & Dwight), Board members Steve Goldberg (BASF) and Kelly Semrau (SC Johnson) and CSPA members Diane Boesenberg (RB), Sean Broderick and Julie Froelicher (P&G). CSPA Executive Vice President Phil Klein -- who with legislative counsel Ben Dunham (Holland & Knight) – led the association’s advocacy efforts, also attended.
“It is great to see Members of Congress from both parties, environmental advocacy groups and industry all working together to provide EPA the tools and resources necessary to build confidence in the U.S. chemicals program,” Klein said. The CSPA group also had a chance to talk with Bonnie Lautenberg, widow of the late Frank Lautenberg for whom the bill is named.
In remarks before the signing, President Obama said the new legislation “will make it easier for the EPA to review chemicals already on the market, as well as the new chemicals our scientists and our businesses design. It will do away with an outdated bureaucratic formula to evaluate safety, and instead focus solely on the risks to our health. And it will finally grant our scientists and our public servants at the EPA the funding they need to get the job done and keep us safe.”
Obama thanked the Members of Congress, trade groups, industry and NGOs and praised the bipartisan effort where Democrats and Republicans came together to get legislation written and passed. “That doesn’t happen very often these days,” said the President. “So this is a really significant piece of business.”
Chris Cathcart, president and CEO of CSPA said, “We are proud of the role we have played in the process of TSCA modernization over the past eight years. Hard work and a commitment to collaboration have resulted in legislation that is good for consumers and for our members as well.”
In addition to Cathcart, also attending the signing ceremony were CSPA Board Chair Bill Auriemma (Diversified CPC), Immediate Past Chair Paul Siracusa (Church & Dwight), Board members Steve Goldberg (BASF) and Kelly Semrau (SC Johnson) and CSPA members Diane Boesenberg (RB), Sean Broderick and Julie Froelicher (P&G). CSPA Executive Vice President Phil Klein -- who with legislative counsel Ben Dunham (Holland & Knight) – led the association’s advocacy efforts, also attended.
“It is great to see Members of Congress from both parties, environmental advocacy groups and industry all working together to provide EPA the tools and resources necessary to build confidence in the U.S. chemicals program,” Klein said. The CSPA group also had a chance to talk with Bonnie Lautenberg, widow of the late Frank Lautenberg for whom the bill is named.