ACD Press Release

NACD Members Meet with Policymakers to Discuss Legislative, Regulatory Challenges 

This week, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) Government Advocacy and Regulatory Affairs Committees met with key policymakers and regulators in Washington to provide input and express concerns about some of the association’s key priorities for the coming year. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Regulatory Affairs Committee members joined together to discuss the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) enforcement memo, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program, Executive Order 13650 – Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, and other regulatory issues impacting the chemical distribution industry. They also sat down with the Assistant Chief Counsel for the Office of Advocacy under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Bruce Lundegren, to discuss ways federal agencies and industry can work together to tackle challenges that small businesses face every day. 

On Wednesday morning, the committee discussed facility security, transportation, food safety, and chemical product safety issues. They also heard from Department of Homeland Security Director of the Infrastructure Security Compliance Division David Wulf. Their discussions focused on the new government initiative to regulate precursor chemicals used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as well as the distribution of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards information to NACD member customers.  

On Wednesday afternoon, the Government Advocacy Committee met with Paul Sass, Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Sam Graves (R-MO) as well as U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to raise the issues of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform, OSHA’s PSM enforcement memo, Surface Transportation Board (STB) reform, the new U.S. House of Representatives Chemistry Caucus, IED precursor chemicals, and other issues. Chem/Serv, Inc. President and NACD Chairman of the Government Advocacy Committee Joseph Fischman said, “Making sure our 40-year-old chemical management system known as TSCA is properly reformed, federal regulatory agency overreach is addressed, and STB reform is implemented in a responsible way are some of the top priorities for the association this year. I welcome the willingness of leaders like Senator Capito and Mr. Sass to meet with us to discuss ways we can work together to address our industry’s concerns.”

NACD President Eric R. Byer stated, “We are pleased we were able to sit down with policymakers and regulators to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges impacting chemical distributors. This year brings with it a host of new issues affecting our industry, and we stand ready to work with legislators and regulators alike to craft pro-business policies that foster growth so our members can continue providing good-paying, locally focused jobs while remaining committed to operating in a safe and responsible manner.”

###

© Copyright by National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) 1999 - 2015. All rights reserved. No republication without the prior written consent of NACD.