SafeChemicalPolicy.org

The Politics of Regrettable Substitutions

“How Does the Government Decide What Is — and What Is Not — ‘Toxic’?” By Henry I Miller, M.D., MS and Angela Logomasini, Ph.D.

An increasingly frequent and worrisome phenomenon that unnecessarily threatens human health and the natural environment is “regrettable substitutions,” which refers to bans or limitations on certain products, even though the alternatives might pose risks that are uncertain or greater. It calls to mind the old saying “out of the frying pan and into the fire.” Today, members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are marking up legislation to reform the nation’s law on chemicals — the Toxic Substances Control Act. As they work, they should heed the lessons related to regrettable substitutions. Read More.