Obama Administration plans to reform US Toxic Chemicals Law

According to the Environmental Working Group, under the outdated and toothless federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), chemicals can go on the U.S. market with little or no safety testing, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has only limited power to protect public health. One result, studies have shown, is that babies are born with hundreds of industrial chemicals in their bodies, Many of them are suspected of contributing to a growing list of health problems such as childhood cancer, obesity, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, infertility and birth defects.

Today's EWG e-newsletter contains this great news:

EWG has been working hard to push the Obama Administration and Congress to overhaul toxics policy. This work paid MAJOR dividends the last two weeks:

* EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson unveiled the Administration's historic toxics policy reform agenda. She called on Congress to enact fundamental reforms to the failed federal toxics law, including tough protections for children, and to give EPA much stronger powers to make sure chemicals are safe.

- for more info on this, check out this San Francisco Chronicle article.

* On Tuesday, EWG co-hosted The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy conference in Washington, DC -- a first-of-its-kind conference featuring Administrator Jackson and a diverse group of public health scientists, environmental advocates, policy experts and industry executives. About 150 people attended and spent a full day in a productive discussion of the future of chemical policy reform in the United States.

Check out these videos from The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy conference:

Part 1:
The first speaker is Erik Olson, Director of Food & Consumer Product Safety - The Pew Health Group, of the Pew Charitable Trusts. YEAH Erik!

The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy #1 - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Part 2:

The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy conference part 2, Part 2 of The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy ewgwebteam on USTREAM. Conference - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Part 3:

The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy conference part 3, Part 3 of The Future of U.S. Chemicals Policy ewgwebteam on USTREAM. Conference - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.