Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Approximately 17,000 different chemicals used by private industry in the United States are kept secret, leaving the public and most government officials in the dark about the physical properties and potential dangers posed to Americans. This situation has come about as a result of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act which requires manufacturers to tell federal regulators about new chemicals used commercially. But the law includes a loophole that allows companies to keep trade secrets hidden from public view, something that has been done with growing frequency.
According to The Washington Post, nearly all compliance notices involving chemicals that have been filed with the federal government in recent years requested some details to be kept secret. In some instances, companies have asked not only for chemical ingredients be hidden but also the names and addresses of the businesses themselves.
The Post notes that in March 2009, “more than half of the 65 ‘substantial risk’ reports filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involved secret chemicals.” In addition, 151 of the secret chemicals are produced in quantities of more than a million tons a year, and, according to the EPA, ten are used specifically for children’s products.
Congress is reportedly considering rewriting chemical regulations this year, thanks to pressure from public interest groups demanding more transparency of chemical use in commercial products and services.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Use of Potentially Harmful Chemicals Kept Secret Under Law (by Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post)
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