State Environment Regulators Seek Toxic Act Rework
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland's secretary of the environment says he's joining counterparts in five other states who are seeking an overhaul of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act.
The act gives the federal Environmental Protection Agency the authority to require reporting, record-keeping and other restrictions for tens of thousands of chemicals.
Maryland Acting Secretary of the Environment Robert Summers says he supports a bill by New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg to reform the act.
The state regulators say the act is outdated and ineffective, forcing many states to pass their own legislation to overcome its deficiencies. They are calling for changes including making more confidential data public and sharing confidential data with state regulators.
The other states are California, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
