State House Notebook:Toxic Chemicals
By Susan M. Cover, State House Bureau,
April 9, 2012
Environmentalists hope that a unanimous, bipartisan vote in support of a resolution to urge Congress to update the federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 will spur Maine’s Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to come on board.
The Environmental Health Strategy Center and others say it’s time for the feds to step up protections against dangerous chemicals for children and families. Neither Snowe nor Collins has said publicly whether they will support federal legislation, which will come up for votes in Washington in the coming weeks.
“We want to give as much support as we can to Senators Snowe and Collins in their efforts to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act,” said Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry. “All Americans deserve to know that our laws will protect them and their children based on the best science available.”