US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad

The chemical industry is using federal TSCA reform and the TTIP trade agreement to prevent US states from enacting chemical safety laws that exceed federal standards, potentially turning federal regulations into a ceiling rather than a floor.

• The chemical industry is leveraging two primary mechanisms to weaken state-level chemical protections: the 'modernization' of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and 'regulatory cooperation' under the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
• Over a 30-year period, 38 US states, including California, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, passed 250 laws providing greater protection from toxic substances than federal TSCA standards.
• Proposed TSCA reforms and TTIP proposals threaten to establish federal standards as a 'ceiling' rather than a 'floor', which would prevent US states from passing more protective laws and regulations regarding hazardous chemicals.

APA

Kistler, A. (2015). US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/us-states-ability-to-protect-from-toxic-chemicals-under-attack-on-two-fronts-at-home-and-abroad/

Chicago

Kistler, Amanda. US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad. Center for International Environmental Law, 2015. https://www.ciel.org/us-states-ability-to-protect-from-toxic-chemicals-under-attack-on-two-fronts-at-home-and-abroad/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kistler |first1=Amanda |title=US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 October 2015 |url=https://www.ciel.org/us-states-ability-to-protect-from-toxic-chemicals-under-attack-on-two-fronts-at-home-and-abroad/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kistler2015states, author = {Kistler, Amanda}, title = {{US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/us-states-ability-to-protect-from-toxic-chemicals-under-attack-on-two-fronts-at-home-and-abroad/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }