Late July, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairs to “express my support for reform of our nation’s chemical safety law.” In her letter, Senator Snowe said: “I am ready to join you in finally modernizing TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act).” In her press release, Sen. Snowe mentioned that she recently met with two-dozen Maine moms (including Green Team member Lalla Carothers) to hear their concerns about the safety of children’s products and the need to update TSCA.
Senator Snowe’s letter compelled the Environment and Public Works Committee to pass the Safe Chemicals Act (S. 847, sponsored by Senator Frank Lautenberg), sending it to the full Senate for a vote expected to happen in September. Committee passage of the Act is the first Senate action to update the broken Toxic Substances Control Act in the 36 since years it passed in 1976. The action follows three years of campaigning by allies of safe chemicals around the country.
