Chemical Industry claims economic harms from TSCA implementation days after reporting 'strong growth' for industry

Statement of EDF Senior Director, Chemical Policy, Maria Doa

“The American Chemistry Council’s staged press conference today shows that the industry sees EPA’s efforts to protect the public health from toxic chemicals as just another obstacle to maximizing their corporate profits.  

“The chemical industry trade group used the event to release a report purporting to highlight six ‘key issues’ with the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and six ‘solutions.’ In fact, the ACC’s report amounts to a call for EPA to stop working to reverse Trump-era policies that ignored science, failed to assess actual human exposures to chemicals, and allowed industry to push through unrestricted approvals of new chemicals in everything from air fresheners to carpets to motor oil. 

“To support its claims of hardship, the ACC trotted out its usual fear-mongering tactics of economic Armageddon if EPA does not cede to industry’s bullying to push through new chemicals without adequate review and allow unrestricted use of existing chemicals even where EPA has identified unreasonable risks. 

“Yet in the very same press conference, the ACC’s Vice President for Federal Affairs Ross Eisenberg acknowledged that he is ‘happy that industry is demonstrating strong growth’ economically. Just four days ago, the ACC noted in its weekly economic analysis that chemical industry employment, shipments, and inventories are all up year over year, with the chemical products industry ‘reporting moderate-to-strong growth in April.’   

“During their press conference today, the ACC’s own leadership indicated that the industry’s true goal is to keep more profits for itself at the expense of the American taxpayer. While the ACC's report decries EPA's efforts to recover fees from industry to help pay for chemical evaluations, as required under TSCA, Mr. Eisenberg said the chemical industry supports Congress acting to increase EPA’s budget to implement the chemical safety law. Mr. Eisenberg never explained why ACC is demanding that Congress ask taxpayers to pay for the budget increase it says EPA needs while simultaneously arguing that industry should not have to pay its share of fees required under TSCA.  

“While we agree with the ACC’s call for more funding for EPA to properly implement TSCA, the rest of the industry group’s report should be taken for what it is: a public stunt designed to hide the fact that the industry wants to reinstate the failed policies of the Trump administration that put workers, frontline communities, and consumers at greater risk, all while asking Congress to make taxpayers cover industry’s share of the bill.” 

• Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemical Policy