Preston Beard
Policy Director, Global Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Published
August 09, 2024
The Chamber’s second annual Chemistry Solutions Summit convened industry leaders, policymakers, and experts united by a desire to shape the future of chemical regulation and sustainability through collaboration and transparency.
Dr. Michal Freedhoff, Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, kicked off the summit by highlighting the significant shift in dialogue.
"I actually credit last year's meeting as a real breakthrough for our engagement with industry," said Freedhoff, who also spoke at last year’s summit. “We’re open to talking to you. … I’m hoping that now … you’ll see that it was worth coming in…we did make adjustments when adjustments were warranted.”
In a fireside chat with Chamber SVP of Policy Marty Durbin, Grant Harris, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis, (ITA) stressed the importance of strengthening supply chains and boosting the U.S. chemical industry’s competitiveness. He advocated for interagency collaboration to safeguard the chemical supply chain, especially in the critical fluorochemistries sector.
Industry Voices Weigh In
Kathy O’Keefe of The Chemours Company illustrated the complexities of navigating the regulatory landscape for PFAS. She emphasized the need for regulatory certainty and transparency, which are crucial for streamlining business operations and reducing unnecessary testing procedures. O’Keefe also showcased Chemours' 2030 Sustainability Goals.
In a later panel, the message of regulatory certainty was echoed by Ben Gann (Occidental), Danielle Jones (American Petroleum Institute), Drew Rak (Toyota), Rob Simon (American Chemistry Council), and Mark Washko (Bergeson & Campbell).
The Chamber also previewed a new study on the economic impact of essential fluorochemistries on seven sectors across the economy.
Top Summit Takeaways
- Early stakeholder engagement is vital for innovation in the chemical space.
- The government must be more transparent with regulations, allow for longer comment periods, and release information about their plans earlier.
- Regulations should be based on sound science, risk management, and thorough analysis.
- Given the critical role chemicals play in our economy, businesses would benefit from a new White House Supply Chain Office to evaluate critical chemicals.
The Big Picture
The business community is calling on the current and future Administrations to create balanced regulations in light of varying frameworks.
Join Us
If you’re interested in our chemical work and would like to talk about our new Chemistry Solutions Leadership Council, please email our Policy Director, Preston Beard at pbeard@uschamber.com
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