Markey: some elements of our bill will make it in final chemical reform

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said he and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) feel confident that they can get some of the elements in their legislation included in whatever chemical reform bill ultimately passes.

“Our objective is to make sure that a good bill passes through the Congress and what we’re doing today is the beginning of our efforts in that process,” Markey said.

Boxer and Markey held a press conference Tuesday to rally against competing legislation from Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and David Vitter (R-La.), which appears to have gained enough bi-partisan support to pass a Republican-led Congress. Both bills aim to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

Boxer said there are a number of amendments that could be made to make the Udall-Vitter bill acceptable.

“I can think of seven changes right now that would make their bill look like our bill,” she said.

Her list of changes includes giving states the authority to take action, setting deadlines for action and directing the EPA to assess hundreds of chemicals, and take action on asbestos and persistent chemicals.

“They ought to take all those changes because the people deserve that kind of legislation,” Boxer said. For the record, we have met with them on many of these and we have been unsuccessful thus far.”