John Curtis: EPA Chemical Regulation Must Align With Modern Science

The Intersection of Chemicals, Innovation, and Competitiveness

• 🧪 The hearing addresses the regulation of new and existing chemicals, a topic critical for innovation, safety, and US competitiveness.
• 🏭 Perspectives from both chemical manufacturers like Huntsman Corporation and major consumers like Boeing highlight the interdependence of the supply chain.

Chemical Innovation and Economic Impact

• 💡 American chemical manufacturers invest billions in R&D to create new materials that can reduce emissions, improve safety, and boost industrial competitiveness.
• 🚀 These innovations enable the development of safer, more efficient products across various sectors, from automotive to aerospace and medical devices.
• 📉 Regulatory delays and ambiguities in the chemical approval process can stifle innovation, leading companies to move research abroad or abandon promising materials.

Challenges in Regulatory Approval

• ✈️ Companies like Boeing rely on new chemicals for next-generation aircraft, but lengthy approval processes involving multiple agencies (EPA, FAA, DoD) create bottlenecks.
• ⏳ When regulations evolve faster than agency approval capabilities, companies face difficulties in integrating safer or more effective replacement chemicals.
• ⛓️ These regulatory bottlenecks can have a ripple effect across the entire supply chain, impacting numerous suppliers and workers.

Modernizing the Regulatory System

• ✅ The challenge is to protect public health and the environment without stifling American innovation.
• 🤝 Ensuring the regulatory system keeps pace with modern science, supports collaboration between agencies, and provides certainty for investors is crucial.
• 🌎 America's leadership in advanced manufacturing depends on an effective chemical approval process that supports innovation and global competition.