Chemicals kept secret under US law
JAN 04, 2010
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.023976
washingtonpost.com : Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the US—from flame retardants in furniture to household cleaners—nearly 20% are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency , their names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all public officials under a little-known federal provision.The policy was designed 33 years ago to protect trade secrets in a highly competitive industry. But critics—including the Obama administration—say the secrecy has grown out of control, making it impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.
© 2010 American Institute of Physics
