December 18, 2015

Manchin Applauds Passage of Chemical Safety Reform Legislation

The Senate voted to pass legislation to protect families and communities from toxic chemicals

Washington, D.C. – As a lead cosponsor and a staunch advocate of chemical safety reforms, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the Senate passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote on Thursday evening to send the bipartisan legislation to the President’s desk. This bill would ensure the safety of the chemicals Americans use every day by updating the United States’ outdated chemical regulatory program.

“I am pleased that the Senate has passed this groundbreaking legislation that will modernize our severely outdated chemical regulatory system,” Senator Manchin said. “After the 2014 Elk River chemical spill, I vowed to do everything in my power to ensure a similar accident would never occur again. Updating chemical safety laws is necessary to ensure we can properly manage toxic chemicals and prepare for the unlikely event of another accident. This bill is a tremendous step forward and a testament to bipartisan compromise when people are committed to coming together to find commonsense solutions.

“I also want to thank and remember my friend, the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, who dedicated his life to protecting public health and fixing America’s chemical safety laws. This bill’s passage would not have been possible without his commitment. I am glad we came together from across the aisle to get this important legislation passed to protect the safety and wellbeing of the American people.”

The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is the result of a bipartisan agreement that Senator Manchin helped mediate after nearly two years of deliberations and negotiations. Lawmakers, stakeholders, and affected community leaders helped craft this groundbreaking legislation that would ensure the Environmental Protection Agency safely oversees consumer products to better protect American families. The legislation would create a predictable and transparent federal system to regulate the safety of chemicals based on the latest science, provide greater regulatory certainty to the chemical manufacturing industry and strike a balance between state and federal roles in chemical safety management. 

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