CHEMICALS

Bills and resolutions

Business and industry: provide biorefinery assistance eligibility to renewable chemicals projects (see H.R. 2421), H3758 [18JN]

Dept. of Defense: establish centers of excellence in prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to open-air burn pits (see H.R. 2510), H4078 [26JN]

Dept. of Energy: develop an energy critical elements program, a rare earth materials program, and amend the National Materials Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act (see H.R. 1022), H1320 [6MR]

Dept. of HHS: expand the definition of trauma to include thermal, electrical, chemical, radioactive, and other extrinsic agents (see H.R. 3548), H7309 [20NO]

Dept. of Homeland Security: improve laws relative to advancement of security technologies for critical infrastructure protection (see H.R. 2952), H5343 [1AU]

——— prohibit approval of chemical facility site security plans unless the facility meets or exceeds State or local security requirements (see H.R. 68), H29 [3JA]

——— provide stronger penalties for violations of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (see S. 814), S3028 [25AP]

Dept. of Justice: provide with additional tools to target extraterritorial drug trafficking activity (see S. 706), S2589 [11AP] (see H.R. 2114), H2911 [22MY]

Dept. of Labor: issue interim occupational safety and health standard regarding worker exposure to combustible dust (see H.R. 691), H545 [14FE]

Dept. of the Interior: conduct a global rare earth element assessment (see H.R. 981), H1318 [6MR]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: establish a national center for diagnosis, treatment, and research of health conditions of descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service (see S. 1602), S7615 [29OC]

——— establish a registry of certain veterans who were stationed at Fort McClellan, AL (see H.R. 411), H281 [23JA]

——— modify commencement date of the period of service at Camp Lejeune, NC, for eligibility for hospital care and medical services in connection with exposure to contaminated water (see S. 529), S1710 [12MR]

Drugs: establish a list of synthetic drugs known as analogues and prohibit most importation, amend sentencing for violations, and improve regulation relative to such analogues (see S. 1323), S5799 [18JY]

——— improve prosecution of the sale and distribution of synthetic drugs known as analogues (see S. 1322), S5799 [18JY]

EPA: apply emission limits to hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide emitted by electric utility steam generating units that use circulating fluidized bed technology to convert coal refuse into energy (see H.R. 3138), H5765 [19SE]

——— clarify definition of accidental release under the Clean Air Act (see S. 1781), S8565 [9DE]

——— clarify general duty clause of Clean Air Act as it applies to chemical facility accidental release prevention (see H.R. 888), H814 [28FE]

——— establish a pilot program to test and mitigate radon levels in public schools (see H.R. 275), H169 [15JA]

——— reduce or eliminate the risk of releases of hazardous chemicals from public water systems and wastewater treatment works (see S. 67), S213 [23JA]

——— require testing of underground sources of drinking water in connection with hydraulic fracturing operations (see H.R. 2983), H5396 [2AU]

——— take certain actions relative to pesticides that may affect pollinators (see H.R. 2692), H4522 [16JY]

——— withdraw proposed order pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride (see H.R. 1496), H1955 [11AP]

FDA: ensure safe use of cosmetics (see H.R. 1385), H1824 [21MR]

Hazardous substances: establish a national mercury monitoring program (see S. 1528), S6646 [19SE]

——— prohibit manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, and use of coal tar sealants (see H.R. 1625), H2157 [18AP]

National security: enhance security of chemical facilities (see S. 68), S213 [23JA]

Pesticides: clarify congressional intent regarding regulation of use of pesticides in or near navigable waters (see S. 802), S2960 [24AP] (see H.R. 935), H949 [4MR]

——— prohibit use, production, sale, importation, or exportation of any pesticide containing atrazine (see H.R. 2044), H2773 [17MY]

Product safety: ban flame retardant chemicals from use in resilient filling materials in children’s products (see H.R. 2934), H5342 [1AU]

——— ban use of bisphenol A in food and beverage containers (see H.R. 2248), H3095 [4JN]

——— ban use of bisphenol A in food and beverage containers for children, baby food, and infant formula and regulate its use in other food containers (see S. 1124), S4058 [10JN]

Safety: ensure that risks from chemicals are adequately understood and managed (see S. 696), S2564 [10AP]

Tariff: acid black 132 (see H.R. 1056), H1330 [11MR]

——— acid black 194 (see H.R. 1058), H1330 [11MR]

——— acid blue 225 (see H.R. 1060), H1330 [11MR]

——— acid orange 116 (see H.R. 1059), H1330 [11MR]

——— bitolylene diisocyanate (TODI) (see H.R. 1388), H1824 [21MR]

——— direct black 22 (see H.R. 1061), H1330 [11MR]

——— direct red 243 (see H.R. 1042), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse blue 60 (see H.R. 1043), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse blue 79—1 (see H.R. 1044), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse blue 291—1 (see H.R. 1045), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse orange 29 (see H.R. 1046), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse orange 30 (see H.R. 1047), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse orange 73 (see H.R. 1048), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse red 60 (see H.R. 1049), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse red 73 (see H.R. 1050), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse red 92 (see H.R. 1051), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse red 167—1 (see H.R. 1052), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse red 177 (see H.R. 1053), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse violet 57 (see H.R. 1055), H1330 [11MR]

——— disperse yellow 114 (see H.R. 1054), H1330 [11MR]

——— reactive blue 21 (see H.R. 1057), H1330 [11MR]

Taxation: allow a credit against income tax for facilities using a qualified methane conversion technology to provide transportation fuels and chemicals (see H.R. 3424), H6953 [30OC]

——— provide a credit for production of renewable chemicals (see S. 1267), S5499 [27JN] (see H.R. 3084), H5546 [12SE]

Toxic Substances Control Act: reauthorize and modernize (see S. 1009), S3760 [22MY]

U.S. Sentencing Commission: establish penalties for causing environmental damage while cultivating marijuana or other controlled substances on Federal lands or trespassing on private property (see S. 1889), S9105 [20DE] (see H.R. 2735), H4724 [18JY]

Vietnamese Conflict: provide assistance to individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange (see H.R. 2519), H4078 [26JN]

Water pollution: require disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and repeal the oil and gas industry exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act (see S. 1135), S4212 [11JN] (see H.R. 1921), H2567 [9MY]

Letters

Ban flame retardant chemicals from use in resilient filling materials in children’s products: Ana Mascarenas and Martha D. Arguello, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles (organization), E1195 [1AU]

——— Arlene Blum and Veena Singla, Green Science Policy Institute, E1195 [1AU]

——— Beverley Thorpe, Clean Production Action (organization), E1197 [1AU]

——— Bruce Lesly, First Focus Campaign for Children (organization), E1196 [1AU]

——— Jamie McConnell, Women’s Voices for the Earth (organization), E1196 [1AU]

——— Jenny Levin, Federation of State PIRGs, E1195 [1AU]

——— Kenneth A. Cook, Environmental Working Group (organization), E1196 [1AU]

——— Malin Nasman, IKEA North America Services, LLC, E1196 [1AU]

——— Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Defense Fund (organization), E1197 [1AU]

——— Matthew Melmed, Zero to Three—National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, E1197 [1AU]

——— Pamela Miller and Maricarmen Cruz-Guilloty, Alaska Community Action on Toxics (organization), E1197 [1AU]

Remarks in House

Dept. of Agriculture: develop and implement regulations to secure and limit access to certain agricultural nutrients and chemicals, E927 [20JN]

Dept. of Defense: Defense Environmental Restoration Program-Formerly Used Defense Sites funding through reductions in Army research and development funding, H4914 [23JY]

Dept. of Energy: develop an energy critical elements program, a rare earth materials program, and amend the National Materials Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act (H.R. 1022), H1881 [10AP]

EPA: require testing of underground sources of drinking water in connection with hydraulic fracturing operations (H.R. 2983), H5353 [2AU], H7281 [20NO]

——— take certain actions relative to pesticides that may affect pollinators, H4490 [16JY]

——— take certain actions relative to pesticides that may affect pollinators (H.R. 2692), E1066 [16JY]

Product safety: ban flame retardant chemicals from use in resilient filling materials in children’s products (H.R. 2934), E1195 [1AU]

——— ban use of bisphenol A in food and beverage containers (H.R. 2248), H6660 [22OC]

States: provide hydraulic fracturing regulations and chemical disclosure requirements to BLM for public disclosure, H7290, H7291 [20NO]

Water pollution: require disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and repeal the oil and gas industry exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act, H7203 [19NO]

——— require disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and repeal the oil and gas industry exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act (H.R. 1921), H7281 [20NO]

Remarks in Senate

Dept. of HHS: Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and Bioshield Special Reserve fund funding, S2302 [22MR]

Dept. of Justice: provide with additional tools to target extraterritorial drug trafficking activity (S. 706), S2591 [11AP]

Drugs: establish a list of synthetic drugs known as analogues and prohibit most importation, amend sentencing for violations, and improve regulation relative to such analogues (S. 1323), S5801 [18JY]

Hazardous substances: establish a national mercury monitoring program (S. 1528), S6648 [19SE]

Product safety: ban use of bisphenol A in food and beverage containers for children, baby food, and infant formula and regulate its use in other food containers (S. 1124), S4059 [10JN]

U.S. Sentencing Commission: establish penalties for causing environmental damage while cultivating marijuana or other controlled substances on Federal lands or trespassing on private property (S. 1889), S9107 [20DE]

Texts of

S. 706, Transnational Drug Trafficking Act, S2591 [11AP]

S. 1323, Protecting Our Youth From Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act, S5802 [18JY]

S. 1889, Protecting Lands Against Narcotics Trafficking (PLANT) Act, S9107 [20DE]