Wow – great news! The EPA has recognized that there are some major issues with our current system of regulating chemicals that can pose threats to people and the environment. The top ranking environmental administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, stated that the existing antiquated regulatory system (which was put into place in 1976) is “cumbersome” and “time consuming”. She expects that a new chemical law will be promoted in Congress in coming months.

In a speech on September 29th in San Francisco, Jackson stated that the 1976 law has “been proven an inadequate tool for providing the protection against chemical risks that the public rightfully expects.”

She gave a great background and history of chemicals in the US, saying “After World War II, the chemical industry in this country grew by leaps and bounds, earning the US an enviable reputation for innovation but also making chemicals pervasive in our lives. Everything from our cars, to the cell phones we all have in our pockets are constructed with plastics and chemical additives. The technological revolution that my two sons take for granted has done more than change the way we interact with each other – it’s made chemicals ubiquitous in our economy and products – as well as our environment and our bodies.”

“A child born in America today will grow up exposed to more chemicals than a child from any other generation in our history. A 2005 study found 287 different chemicals in the cord blood of 10 newborn babies – chemicals from pesticides, fast food packaging, coal and gasoline emissions, and trash incineration. They were found in children in their most vulnerable stage. Our kids are getting steady infusions of industrial chemicals before we even give them solid food. Now, some chemicals may be risk-free at the levels we are seeing. I repeat: some chemical may be risk-free. But as more and more chemicals are found in our bodies and the environment, the public is understandably anxious and confused.”

Jackson stated clearly that there is no incentive for the manufacturers of chemicals to supply any new safety data, just any data that may already exist. She said that “today, advances in toxicology and analytical chemistry are revealing new pathways of exposure. There are subtle and troubling effects of chemicals on hormone systems, human reproduction, intellectual development and cognition. Every few weeks, we read about new potential threats: Bisphenol A, or BPA – a chemical that can affect brain development and has been linked to obesity and cancer – is in baby bottles; phthalate esters – which have been said to affect reproductive development – are in our medical devices; we see lead in toys; dioxins in fish; and the list goes on.”

Jackson concluded by saying that she will give Congress clear Administrative principals to help guide them in developing a new law that will address the current inadequecies. She also stated that she plans to address key chemicals in the near term – including Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates.

To read her complete speech, go to the transcript at the EPA website.