Legislation would roll back EPA oversight, fast-track new chemical approvals, undermine bipartisan reforms to TSCA
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Environment Subcommittee Chair Gary Palmer (R-AL) released a draft bill that would roll back key provisions of the nation’s chemical safety law—theToxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The proposal reflects longstanding priorities of the chemical lobby by proposing to roll back reforms Congress enacted with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2016 to better protect people from toxic chemicals.
Health and environmental advocates across the country denounced the legislation, warning that the bill would threaten public health and undermine EPA’s ability to protect people from dangerous chemical exposures and reverse hard-won safeguards designed to prevent harm before it occurs.
Among its most troubling provisions, the proposal would:
-Weaken EPA authority to restrict harmful chemicals
-Short-cut safety reviews for new chemicals, making it easier for harmful chemicals like PFAS to enter the market without full evaluations
-Roll back federal actions that reduce exposure to cancer-causing chemicals like methylene chloride and trichloroethylene (TCE)
Toxic-Free Future and Safer States released the following statements in response to this news.
“In 2016, amid mounting evidence of health harms from toxic chemicals like PFAS and methylene chloride, and growing public mistrust of everyday products, Congress strengthened TSCA to finally require meaningful scrutiny of chemicals before they reach our homes and workplaces,” said Liz Hitchcock, federal policy program director of Toxic-Free Future. “This bill is a chemical lobby wish list. Congress should reject this chemical industry assault on our health protections.”
“Here in Alabama, we have been living with PFAS in our air and water for years,” said Brenda Hampton, founder of Concerned Citizens of WMEL Water Authority in Courtland, Alabama. “We don’t need more harmful chemicals pushed through without rigorous review. Congress should be standing up for kids, families, and health, not siding with polluters that keep endangering our communities.”
“Environmental exposures to toxic chemicals can have devastating effects on fertility and reproductive health,” said Dr. Lora Shahine, OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. “We must do more to protect the health of our families, especially our children, from chemicals that have been linked to a range of health issues, including infertility, miscarriage, and developmental problems. This Congressional proposal will give the industry greater license to put more chemicals on the market without EPA rigorously evaluating their impacts on health and safety.”
“For more than a decade, states have led the way in protecting people from toxic chemicals found in our food, drinking water, and everyday products,” said Sarah Doll, national director of Safer States. “Communities across the country are demanding stronger protections from toxic chemicals and states are acting because families shouldn’t have to learn after the fact that harmful chemicals were allowed in their food or water. Proposals like this are why states will continue to step up to protect their residents from toxic threats. ”
BACKGROUND ON THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA)
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is the main federal law governing the safety of chemicals like PFAS and asbestos used in products and manufacturing. Originally passed in 1976, the law was widely considered to be outdated and ineffective until Congress strengthened it in 2016 with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Since then, TSCA has delivered meaningful public health protections, including:
-Banning asbestos, a known cancer-causing substance
-Banning dangerous paint strippers containing methylene chloride, which has been responsible for dozens of deaths
-Phasing out harmful degreasing chemicals containing TCE known to cause cancer
-Preventing new dangerous chemicals, including some PFAS, from entering the market
TOXIC-FREE FUTURE
Toxic-Free Future is a national leader in environmental health research and advocacy. Through the power of science, education, and activism, Toxic-Free Future drives strong laws and corporate responsibility that protects the health of all people and the planet. toxicfreefuture.org
SAFER STATES
Safer States is a national alliance of environmental health organizations and coalitions from across the nation working to safeguard people and the planet from toxic chemicals, and to ensure availability of safer solutions for a healthier world. Led by state-based organizations, the alliance seeks government and corporate action that lead to safer chemicals and materials, and protection of public health and communities by transitioning away from harmful chemicals and holding chemical polluters accountable. saferstates.org
Press Statement: https://toxicfreefuture.org/press-room/house-majority-introduces-chemical-industry-backed-bill-to-weaken-federal-protections-from-toxic-chemicals/
Stephanie Stohler
Toxic-Free Future / Safer States
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