Denying States’ Rights to Restrict Chemicals

A bill before the U-S House of Representatives would stop state and local governments from passing their own restrictions on chemicals. We have more from the GLRC’s Rick Pluta:

Transcript

A bill before the US House of Representatives would stop state and local
governments from passing their own restrictions on chemicals. We have more
from the GLRC’s Rick Pluta:


California recently passed a law that would ban the use of a fire retardant that’s been
linked to neurological disorders, and other states are looking at passing regulations that
are stricter than federal rules governing fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial chemicals.


Democratic Representative John Dingell of Michigan says all of those could be sidelined
by the bill before Congress:


“In other words, it is a wall not only against existing law, but it is a wall against the states enacting additional laws which would make it safe for people.”


He says the bill would also require environmental regulators to perform a cost-benefit
analysis as part of their decisions, when the health of the public should be their top
concern.


Supporters say the United States needs a single standard governing pesticides and
chemicals to comply with an international treaty.


For the GLRC, this is Rick Pluta.

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