Industry coalition urges EPA and OSHA to create single federal chemical worker-safety framework
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Safety
Seventy-five industry groups, including the American Chemistry Council, want EPA and OSHA to align chemical worker protections under one federal framework to reduce overlap and confusion.
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Key Facts
- A coalition of 75 organizations sent a July 20 letter to EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, OSHA administrator David Keeling and White House OMB Director Russell Vought.
- The coalition asked the agencies to work jointly under Section 9 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
- Signers include the American Chemistry Council, American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, National Association of Manufacturers and National Mining Association.
- The letter says EPA’s Workplace Chemical Protection Program creates overlap and conflicting assumptions, requirements and implementation approaches with OSHA.
- The coalition argues that different exposure limits, monitoring approaches or compliance obligations for the same chemical create facility-level confusion.
What Happened
A coalition of industry groups is asking the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA to develop a single federal framework for protecting workers from chemical exposure, the report said. The coalition includes the American Chemistry Council and 74 other organizations.
In a July 20 letter to EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, OSHA administrator David Keeling and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the group called for the agencies to work jointly under Section 9 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Why It Matters
The coalition says a unified approach would increase efficiency and curb confusion at the facility level. For chemical buyers, lab managers, EHS leads and operators, that points to a recurring problem in compliance planning: overlapping federal expectations can complicate training, monitoring and documentation.
The letter argues that when two agencies set different exposure limits, monitoring approaches or compliance obligations for the same chemical, the result is uncertainty about safe practices and how to implement them consistently across a site.
Key Details
The coalition specifically cites EPA’s Workplace Chemical Protection Program as an example of overlap with OSHA. The letter says the current setup can produce “dueling federal frameworks” for the same workers in the same workplace and for the same occupational risk.
- 75 organizations signed the letter.
- Section 9 of TSCA is the legal basis the coalition points to for coordination.
- The coalition says recent congressional directives have urged EPA and OSHA to combine efforts.
- The stated goal is a “unified, singular regulatory approach.”
Among the signers named in the report are the American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, National Association of Manufacturers and National Mining Association.
What To Watch Next
The key practical issue is whether EPA and OSHA respond with any coordinated process on worker chemical protections, especially where facility programs already track different agency expectations. If the agencies move toward a single framework, companies may need to revisit exposure monitoring, internal standards and training materials.
Until then, facilities with chemical handling programs should keep current requirements aligned by task, substance and work area, particularly where one program may touch both occupational safety and environmental compliance.
Alliance's Take
For buyers and operators, the main near-term issue is not a new rule but the possibility of future consolidation in how worker chemical exposure is regulated. That could affect specifications, training language and compliance documentation tied to chemical use.
EHS teams should watch for EPA-OSHA coordination that could change how exposure limits and monitoring duties are mapped across sites, especially where multiple chemicals or processes sit under overlapping programs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the industry groups asking EPA and OSHA to do?
They want the agencies to work together on a single federal framework for chemical worker protection under Section 9 of TSCA.
Why does the coalition say this is needed?
The letter says overlapping requirements can create conflicting exposure limits, monitoring approaches and compliance obligations for the same chemical.
Which groups are named as signers?
The report names the American Chemistry Council, American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, National Association of Manufacturers and National Mining Association.