A landmark bill was introduced to the US Senate last week, intending to replace the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As reported by Sustainable Business, the “Safe Chemicals Act” is a response to persistent and vocal warnings from scientific and medical experts who claim that the TSCA has failed to curtail common chemicals, such as asbestos and BPA, that have been linked to various cancers, learning disabilities, infertility, and more. Specifically, the “Safe Chemicals Act” would Require EPA to identify and restrict the "worst of the worst" more...Earlier this year, reform bills were introduced in congressional subcommittees that would have tightened the 34-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and made it easier for the EPA to take dangerous chemicals off the market, including the ability to finally ban asbestos. While the bills were initially met with wide industry support, after numerous hearings and billions of lobbying dollars spent by the chemical industry, these efforts to protect public health appear to be stalled. In simplest terms, these bills, if passed, would shift accountability from the EPA to the chemical industry to prove products are safe before more...Many experts say asbestos is the poster child for everything that’s wrong with toxic chemical regulations in the United States. Despite the proven links between asbestos exposure and diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, the material is still used in the U.S. today. Even more shocking is the alarming rate that these diseases have afflicted U.S. citizens – reports estimate that, since 1980, more than 200,000 worker deaths resulted from asbestos-related diseases. So why hasn’t the government stepped in and outlawed this known carcinogen? While the health effects of asbestos have become more widely known and more...Within the coverage of the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, reports are emerging that the chemical dispersants used to break-up the slicks are just as toxic as the oil itself. This is the same issue driving Ban Asbestos Now! as well as many larger, federal studies examining environmental cancers and household products that contain toxic chemicals; across the board, we need to urge stronger regulation of potentially hazardous and cancer-causing materials. While it’s reckless to allow companies to use untested, dangerous chemicals, it’s even worse when materials like asbestos are proven to be more...Recently, there has been an increase in coverage regarding toxic chemical reform, both domestically with bills such as the reformed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as well as overseas with the growing burn pit movement. The burn pit movement stems from concerns that veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are being exposed to dangerous toxins emitted from huge, open-air piles of burning trash. The materials burned in these pits on-base include harmful chemicals like plastics, liquid fuels, tires and batteries. As a result, many members of the military are developing serious health issues such more...