Last Updated on 2/4/2012

Published on 12/22/2009

Thirty-three years ago, Gerald Ford was in the final year of his presidency, a brand new company called Apple was beginning production on the first personal computers, you could buy a cup of coffee for 26 cents and Congress passed a major new law called the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA.
Every single one of those things has changed since 1976.  That is, every single one but TSCA.
It is time that we so that we can better protect our citizens, our environment, and our industries.
 An updated TSCA should take into account the significant advances that have been made in the detection and understanding of toxic chemicals in a manner that prioritizes safety, innovation, and jobs.
The beauty of chemical safety reform is that a practical solution will fulfill all three of these priorities — and meet the needs of consumer, labor, environmental, and industry groups alike.
Modernizing TSCA will be a winning proposal for us all.
While public safety must always be the top priority as we facilitate safe chemical production and use, we can also use these vital reforms to create further innovation and family-wage jobs.
Across the country, the chemical industry employs 850,000 people — 21,400 of whom work in the great state of South Carolina.
 The industry also supports downstream jobs in other industries for millions more workers and injects $700 billion a year into our national economy.
In these difficult economic times, we can use reform to encourage greater innovation that will support and grow tens of thousands of high-paying American jobs—all while updating our chemical safety laws to protect public health and preserve the environmental health of our planet.
As our scientific community begins to recognize the risk that certain chemicals pose to human and environmental health, the chemical industry is already taking proactive measures to create the next generation of safe and environmentally-sensitive materials.
 These “green chemistry” products will be able to replace their less-green counterparts, spurring jobs and innovation.
The growth of green chemistry will inevitably be associated with new opportunities in research and development and manufacturing, which will also extend to numerous associated industries.
The agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries’ reliance on chemical products means that they, too, will feel a job boon as these new green chemistry products move through the supply chain.
By applying heightened uniform safety standards across the country and compelling companies to innovate with new, modern products, we will see environmentally-sensitive chemicals propelling the industry forward.
Already, chemical products help to power solar cell operations, to fuel the batteries that will replace gas tanks in our cars, and to produce highly desirable new technologies like wind power blades and compact fluorescent lights.
The possibilities are endless as innovation and job growth continues.
This opportunity for job creation, however, is only possible with a comprehensive and balanced approach to chemical safety reform.
This sensible approach will allow us to modernize our chemical safety laws in a way that supports consumers, workers, and business.
This sensible approach will protect workers, help businesses control costs, and maintain American competitiveness.
Congress must be careful not too impose so many restrictions on chemical production and distribution that it sends companies fleeing to China, where safety restrictions are lax and tainted chemical materials can be shipped to the U.S. and put American citizens at risk.
The Coalition for Chemical Safety, composed of consumer, labor, and industry groups, understands that only a balanced approach to chemical safety can achieve safety, jobs, and innovation.
Unfortunately, TSCA as we know it accomplishes none of these goals.
While the music of Elton John and Paul Simon may be timeless, the chemical regulations of 1976 certainly are not.

Jamie Sanderson
- Sitting Member Goodbye Minimally Adequate Statewide steering committee
- Former Georgetown County Democratic Party chairman