Following a report of potentially harmful effects of bisphenol A (BPA), congressional Democrats have introduced legislation to amend TSCA to impose new responsibilities on the chemical industry. The bill would affect companies that make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.

The Kid Safe Chemical Act (HR 6100), introduced by Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., would require companies to use credible evidence to demonstrate the safety of their products.

According to the report by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the degree to which BPA migrates from polycarbonate containers into liquid appears to depend more on the temperature of the liquid than the age of the container. NIEHS said that the possibility that BPA may adversely alter human development cannot be dismissed.

The bill would impose restrictions on hazardous chemicals detected in newborn babies, and empower the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify hazardous chemicals. The bill also would expand public access to information the government possesses on chemical hazards, and cut back on information industry can claim as confidential.

Under the bill, the EPA would also be required to systematically review whether industry has met this burden of proof for all industrial chemicals within 15 years of adoption.

To view the bill, visit www.thomas.gov and search for HR 6100.