Listening to most of the Senate Environmental & Public Works Committee hearing today (written testimony here hearing will be archived in about a week), it sounds like Sen. Boxer won't let go of the Chemical Safety Improvement Act S. 1009 until:
- state preemption is removed (a California carve out?)
- deadlines are set to make EPA act (as if that ever works)
- specifically calling out that children and pregnant women (at a minimum) are vulnerable subpopulations to be considered in safety assessments/determinations/standards
- the ability for "victims" to sue is explicit
- and, as she said, the "devils in the detail" are worked out (whatever that means)
It's possible that compromises could be accomplished, as I don't think Vitter & industry are that far away on these issues - except for that last "detail" one. The trouble will be if it morphs into Lautenberg's old Safe Chemicals Act, no way will the House go along and maybe not even the Senate.
Senator Boxer not very nicely put down all of the witnesses with industry association as not worth listening to and lavished praise on her witness/"heroes" who are protecting The Public. Vitter countered that NGO's base their fund-raising on arguing that TSCA is broken and federal inaction is putting people at high risk, implying fixing TSCA is not in their best interests. Nevertheless, Boxer asked everyone to promise to help work on a mark-up bill. We'll see,,,,