The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) recently announced it applauds the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for the recent passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S.697). Approval of this bipartisan reform to the broken Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is reportedly a major step forward in getting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate thousands of chemicals that have not been addressed since the law’s passage in 1976.

“ASC has been involved in the TSCA reform effort for seven years, and this is clearly the biggest victory we have witnessed so far,” said Matthew Croson, ASC president. “In just the last four months, we have visited more than 20 Senate offices emphasizing that our members face the continual threat of an increasing number of state and local chemical regulations unless the federal government gets its own house in order when it comes to chemical evaluation.”

The ASC will continue to reach out to other Senate offices to build support for a full Senate vote later this year, as well as work with the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee as they continue to work on their own TSCA reform bill, Croson said.

For more information, visit www.ascouncil.org.