News Coverage
SF Chron: EPA wants more oversight on chemicals
Published October 2, 2009
Tens of thousands of chemicals found in everyday items, from toys and cell phones to food containers and medical devices, would face high levels of federal scrutiny and control under a set of guidelines unveiled Tuesday in San Francisco by President Obama's top environmental official.
The effort to rewrite how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluates and enforces the use of potentially harmful chemicals marks the most significant overhaul of the nation's chemical policies since the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
The move also coincides with growing public alarm over the risks posed by chemicals of all stripes - from pesticides in food to plastic coatings in baby bottles and flame retardants in clothing and pillows. Of particular concern are rising levels of toxics found in children and developing fetuses.
"The system we have now assumes that chemicals are innocent until proven guilty," said Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research at the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C. "These reforms introduced today would flip that."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/30/MN2U19UIJ8.D...
