A groundbreaking new law was just passed and signed by President Barack Obama in June, to update the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) began efforts a few years back to overhaul the old act, but passed away in 2013 before completing his work. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) was elected to take Lautenberg’s place and continue his work on the Lautenberg Act.
On June 22, Sen. Booker finally joined a number of other senators to bring the act before President Obama to be signed into law.
The Lautenberg Act will not only offer us a greater protection from hazardous chemicals in common household goods, but will also have immense implications for a group of living beings unable to speak for themselves; animals.
The new law will set unprecedented protections for animals by restricting animal testing, and forces regulators to develop new technology-based alternatives.
This is a huge victory for animal rights groups. Wayne Pacelle blogged on Humane Society,
“The long-established practice of poisoning animals for a variety of purposes is on the way out, and it will be replaced by human biology that will give us better results and not leave a trail of animal victims in our wake.”
Sen. Booker, himself a vegan, has a long record of urging compassion for animals and environmental causes. An advocate against soring show horses (inflicting pain to a horse’s legs so that they walk with a higher gait), and banning horse slaughtering, as well as opposing the Sportsmen’s Act last year. The Act would have allowed hunting of threatened polar bears and blocked checks on toxic lead ammunition, a substance that can hurt animals and the environment.
President Obama’s popularity is ever-rising, and he continues to make the most out of his last six months in the White House. Many feel he will be remembered as one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States.
You can watch President Obama’s speech when passing the new law here:
“For the first time…we’ll actually be able to regulate chemicals effectively.” —@POTUS on #ChemicalSafety Act: https://t.co/3YoAKwoq9G
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) June 22, 2016
Featured Image By Lawrence Jackson Via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain.
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