Congress considering wide range of issues

Chemicals in one form or another are currently on the minds of a surprising number of Congressional committees. The House Government Activities & Transportation Subcommittee is holding hearings on the highway routing of highly toxic chemical shipments, and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime is looking into controlling the sale and distribution of chemicals that can be used to make illegal drugs (see page 28). The House Merchant Marine & Fisheries Committee has reported out a bill, H.R. 940, that would place strict curbs on the ocean disposal of plastic products, and the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy & Power has approved legislation, H.R. 3399, designed to facilitate the use of methanol-based vehicle fuels. Other chemical topics examined recently in the House include providing patent term extensions for animal drugs; using biodegradation technology to clean up excess chemicals used in the wood preserving industry; and superconductivity. And the House Ways & Means Committee has held ...