[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 39 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2591-S2592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JEFFORDS:
  S. 2118. A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act and the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to implement the 
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Protocol 
on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-Range 
Transboundary Air Pollution; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Madam President, I rise today to introduce the POPs 
Implementation Act of 2002.
  POPs, or persistent organic pollutants, are chemicals that are 
persistent, bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, biomagnify 
through the food chain, and are toxic to humans. These substances 
travel across international boundaries, creating a circle of pollution 
requiring a global solution.
  In April 2001, one year ago, President Bush announced his support for 
the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, POPs, and in 
May 2001, the U.S. signed the Convention. I share the President's 
enthusiasm for this sound and workable treaty that targets chemicals 
detrimental to human health and the environment.
  The Stockholm Convention seeks the elimination or restriction of 
production and use of all intentionally produced POPs. The POPs that 
are to be initially eliminated include the pesticides aldrin, 
chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, and toxaphene, and the 
industrial chemicals hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls, 
PCBs. Use of the pesticide DDT is limited to disease control until 
safe, effective, and affordable alternatives are identified. The 
Convention also seeks the continuing minimization and, where feasible, 
ultimate elimination of releases of unintentionally produced POPs such 
as dioxins and furans.
  Today, I am introducing a bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control 
Act, TSCA, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 
FIFRA, to implement the Stockholm Convention on POPs and the Protocol 
on POPs to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. 
These are the first amendments to TSCA since its enactment in October 
1976.
  Currently in the U.S., the registrations for nine of the twelve POPs 
covered by the Stockholm Convention have been canceled, the manufacture 
of PCBs has been banned, and stringent controls have been placed on the 
release of the other covered chemicals. The POPs Implementation Act of 
2002 provides EPA with the authority, which it currently does not have, 
to prohibit the manufacture for export of the twelve POPs and POPs that 
are identified in the future. In addition, this legislation provides a 
science-based process consistent with the Stockholm Convention for 
listing additional chemicals exhibiting POPs characteristics, thereby 
attempting to avoid the further production and use of POPs. To assist 
in this goal, the National Academy of Sciences is directed to develop 
new strategies to screen candidate POPs and new sampling methodologies 
to identify future POPs.
  Although a previous EPA draft included a mechanism for adding new 
chemicals, the Administration's current POPs implementation package 
does not. The Stockholm Convention was not intended to be a static 
agreement, as it explicitly provides for the additional of new 
chemicals. If we are to be most effective in globally reducing these 
dangerous chemicals, we must fully commit to this treaty.

[[Page S2592]]

                                 ______