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May 9, 2008
Volume 22 - Issue 12
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ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY DAY A GREAT SUCCESS
CICI’s Annual Legislative & Regulatory Day and Reception was a tremendous success. A great number of government officials, legislators and CICI members attended the evening reception. CICI would like to thank the members for their attendance and strong showing of support of our efforts in Springfield. The active and enthusiastic support of our members does not go unnoticed by the policy makers in the General Assembly and state government. Thank you very much for making it a great day.
Robin Kelly, former State Representative and current Chief of Staff for Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, spoke to the members at the luncheon in the Treasurer’s stead. She spoke on many issues, including the state’s budget, the operations of the treasurer’s office, and various other programs.
Joining us for the evening were many legislators, regulators and government officials. Among the government officials were Acting Pollution Control Board (IPCB) Chairman Tanner Girard and other members of the IPCB; House E&E Committee Chairman Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville)and Spokesperson Jim Durkin (R-Countryside), House Environmental Health Committee Chairperson Karen May (D-Highland Park), and Spokesperson Dave Winters (R-Rockford);and a host of other legislators and key government officials. |
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ACTIVISTS CONTINUE PUSH FOR BPA BAN
An environmental activist group pushing legislation to ban bisphenol A and possibly other chemicals used in consumer products has scheduled a press conference at 11:00 am next Wednesday, May 14th in the Capitol press room. The purpose of this press conference is nothing more than to scare people and drum up support for banning chemicals that have been proven safe by numerous health agencies around the globe in their respective applications. CICI has taken the lead in opposing such measures and will keep you informed of any developments that may occur.
As of yet CICI has not learned of a bill number or what committee this measure may be assigned to – if it ever becomes assigned.
CICI’s main argument against these bills is that the products are safe and have been proven as such. Secondly, this issue should be taken up as a federal issue rather than trying to ban products on a state-by-state basis which would make it very difficult to conduct commerce if each state had different bans or limitations on the use of various chemicals.
In response, CICI has introduced resolutions, HR 1150 (Lindner, R-Sugar Grove) and SR 679 (Clayborne, D-E. St. Louis), calling on Congress to ensure that the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) provides the necessary statutory and regulatory controls necessary to protect human health and the environment from the risks of industrial chemicals. Further, another resolution, a joint resolution between the House and Senate, has been introduced as HJR 122 (Holbrook, D-Belleville) at the request of some consumer groups to urge Congress to meaningfully address imports – everything from toys to cat food - that have been the subject of various recalls in this country. All of these resolutions have been assigned to the Rules Committee. CICI is also having introduced a resolution that specifically calls on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite their current review of bisphenol A. |
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TESTIMONY PRESENTED ON CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION
Testimony was presented before a Senate Subcommittee on Global Warming and Energy Efficiency yesterday from both proponents and opponents of legislation contained in SB 2220 (Harmon, D-Oak Park), which would enact many environmental ideas concerning climate change, including a cap and trade/tax auction, an energy efficient furnace requirement, car emissions standards, clean “home-grown” fuel standards, and an energy efficient residential building code.
The proponents of these proposals, namely the state’s environmental groups, essentially claimed that not only is global warming real but people – and ultimately industry – are responsible. The goal of the proposals for the environmental community is a reduction in greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. Proponents claimed that energy efficiency programs like a residential energy efficiency building code, fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, and clean energy technology will get the state half way toward the 2020 goal. The other half, they claim, must be achieved through a cap and trade/tax auction. This cap and trade/tax auction, however, is not like the current cap and trade system set up by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 for SO2 and NOX. The cap and trade auction proposed by this bill is essentially a cap and tax auction, with caps set very low and the money generated by the so called “trade” to ultimately be used for non environmental purposes like Medicare/Medicaid, education, and general welfare programs through a siphoning of these funds as has become customary in this administration. This type of tax could raise billions of dollars, which, coincidentally or not, is equal to the state’s budget deficit. A program like this will shut down many industrial plants in this state.
The opponents of these proposals, including CICI, stated through their testimony that while no one may be debating the existence of some type of climate change occurring, blaming it on people and industry is scientifically unjustifiable. Research scientists who frequently work with NASA claim that another 50 to 100 years of scientific analysis of satellite weather patterns is needed. They also claim that greenhouse gases like CO2 may only be part of the problem and that water vapors and cloud cover may also be contributing factors.
In short, global warming could very well be a naturally occurring phenomenon that science has not quite grasped in its totality and any attempts to try to correct this situation should, at the very least, be done on a national or international level. Legislation like SB 2220 will not solve any environmental problems with climate change and only harm the state’s economy. |
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WATER SUPPLY TESTING FOR CONTAMINANTS INTRODUCED
An amendment to HB 2167 (Froehlich, D-Schaumburg) was introduced this week and assigned to the House Environmental Health Committee that would require public water supplies be tested for the presence of trace concentrations of the following, referred to as "emerging contaminants": natural and synthetic hormones, chemicals in cosmetics, shampoos, shaving lotions, skin creams, flame retardants, plastics, and anti-bacterial soaps. According to units of local governments and public water supply agencies, this testing will cost close to a billion dollars and could ultimately cover hundreds if not thousands of chemicals.
CICI is not currently opposed to the legislation but is carefully monitoring any developments.
Please note that the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Legislator is not intended to convey legal advice or set forth all legal requirements applicable to particular circumstances.
Headquarters: 2250 E. DEVON AVE., SUITE 239, DES PLAINES, IL 60018 · TEL :( 847) 544-5995 · FAX :( 847) 544-5999
Springfield: 400 W. MONROE, SUITE 205, SPRINGFIELD, IL 62704 · TEL :( 217) 522-5805 · FAX :( 217) 522-5815 |
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