This is a fascinating paradigm shift, although I would be genuinely surprised if such legislation could make it  out of committee, let alone through the House.   Does the ACS have a position on this or is it too hot an issue for them to touch given the ACC's strong opposition?

Rob Toreki

See http://www.cnn.com/201 1/HEALTH/07/08/chemical.bans/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 and the current ver sion of the as-yet-unsubmitted bill at http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/ 2011/images/07/08/endocrine.disrupting.chemicals.exposure.elimination.act.o f.2011-jun.24.pdf

Bill would let federal health researchers ban certain chemicals

(CNN) -- A new bill could alter the landscape of chemical regulation i n the United States by empowering researchers to take swift action against the most potentially harmful chemicals in use today.

The bill, to be introduced later this month, would give the direct or of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and a pane l of experts selected by the director, the power to ban up to 10 chemical s from commerce each year by categorizing them as being of high concern.

Those chemicals would become unlawful to use 24 months after receiving that designation.

Among the chemicals that could be subject to a ban is bisphenol A, o r BPA, a hormone-disrupting substance widely used in plastics that has be en the target of controversy in recent months.

The bill is to be introduced by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Virginia, and Se n. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, later this month.

The fate of the legislation, though, is far from certain. It will have to make its way through committee in both the Republican-controlled Ho use and the Senate, where Democrats have a small majority.

CNN received an advance copy of the bill*, called the Endocrine-Disr upting Chemicals Exposure Elimination Act of 2011, which has a self-execu ting statute under which the listing of high concern by the NIEHS automatic ally would outlaw the chemical or class of chemicals, and would require e ach regulatory agency to take action to prohibit the chemical.

*Editor's note: This is an advanced draft of the bill. It could change before being introduced.

If the bill were to become law, the NIEHS, a part of the National Institutes of Health, could have chemicals outlawed much sooner than othe rwise possible...

(much more in the rest of the article; see link above).

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