The RV Industry Association, through its participation in the American Alliance for Innovation (AAI), joined a coalition of more than 75 organizations in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish a single, coordinated federal framework for workplace chemical safety.
In a July 20 letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, OSHA Assistant Secretary David Keeling and OMB Director Russell Vought, the coalition expressed concern that EPA’s implementation of recent Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk management rules has created overlapping workplace chemical safety requirements with OSHA’s longstanding worker protection programs. The coalition noted that duplicative or conflicting federal requirements can create confusion and increase compliance burdens without necessarily improving worker protections.
The coalition urged the agencies to utilize Section 9 of TSCA, which authorizes EPA to coordinate with OSHA on occupational safety matters, to establish a unified regulatory approach. Congress recently reinforced this expectation in House Report 119-215, directing EPA to strengthen its coordination with OSHA and clearly define each agency’s respective responsibilities.
Specifically, the coalition recommended EPA and OSHA:
- Establish a single federal framework for occupational chemical safety
- Improve coordination between the two agencies
- Align regulatory responsibilities with each agency’s expertise
- Eliminate duplicative or conflicting requirements that create uncertainty for employers
The RV Industry Association said it supports strong protections for worker health and safety while advocating for regulatory clarity and consistency. A coordinated federal approach would help manufacturers better understand and comply with workplace chemical safety requirements while maintaining effective protections for workers.
The coalition concluded by reaffirming its willingness to work collaboratively with EPA and OSHA to develop a more effective, coordinated and durable federal framework for worker chemical safety.
For more information about this issue, please contact Bill Erny, RVIA’s senior manager of regulatory affairs, at [email protected]
