House Bill Could Weaken EPA Oversight of Hazardous Chemicals

"These chemicals are undetectable to the resident who lives above it. They're strongly associated with different diseases, and the contamination can come up through the ground as a vapor. And we're still finding it in the water."

"The bill would amend large portions of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act - a series of EPA regulations meant to police the manufacturing, processing and use of chemical substances, including such contaminants as those found at Jones Road."

"In 2016, Congress reformed the act, commonly referred to as TSCA, with bipartisan support to give more authority to the EPA to review and regulate chemical substances. Now, a decade later, House conservatives are proposing to walk back many of the 2016 reforms, citing issues in efficiency, predictability and competitiveness."

Groundwater contamination from a dry cleaning facility in northwest Houston has persisted for decades, with hazardous chemicals migrating into the Cyprus community. The EPA designated the Jones Road Ground Water Plume a Superfund site in 2003. These invisible contaminants cause serious health effects and continue appearing in water supplies. A new House bill proposes amending the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act by reversing many 2016 reforms that strengthened EPA regulatory authority. House conservatives claim the changes will improve efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness. Environmental advocates and residents like Jackie Medcalf, who monitors the contamination, oppose weakening protections against chemical hazards.

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