In 2016, Congress passed a law mandating more research into the potential harms of dangerous chemicals. Two years later, the EPA has decided to interpret this law to mean that it should only need to test the effects of direct exposure to chemicals.
Sign the petition to ask Congress to pass more airtight legislation so the EPA would have to keep us safe!
The current interpretation would intentionally leave out the bad things that happen when these chemicals get into our air, ground and water supply. Since most people actually come into contact with chemicals in these manners, the lack of research would more easily allow the EPA to deregulate existing chemical safety rules.
It's worth noting that the EPA'S Office of Chemical Safety is being led by Nancy Beck, a Trump appointee who until recently worked for the American Chemistry Council and lobbied against the law Congress passed. Talk about a conflict of interest.
The EPA's overly generous interpretation of the law is infuriating, but the agency could easily get away it if we don't step up. The best way for Congress to get the EPA to follow the law as intended is to pass a second more specific law requiring the testing of chemicals when they are released into the water/air/etc.
Please sign the petition to ask U.S. Congress to pass a law that would help keep dangerous chemicals away from us.
A bipartisan effort helped to pass this commonsense law the first time around, so let's make sure the EPA actually follows its responsibility to protect American citizens from hazards with even clearer legislation.
