Maine's environmental commissioner joins his counterparts in 12 other states to call for tighter controls on toxic chemicals.

Maine environmental officials, along with those from several other states, are calling for stronger federal laws to protect the public from toxic chemicals.

"Current federal chemical regulations fail to adequately protect Maine and the nation's citizens and environment from toxic chemicals and unsafe products," says Maine DEP Commissioner David Littell in a statement. "The effects of exposure to toxic chemicals on human health, the environment, and the economy are enormous and often avoidable."

The target of the effort is the 33-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act -- or TSCA -- which Littel says isn't strong enough to ensure adequate monitoring and control of tens of thousands of chemicals used everyday in the U.S. The future of the act is currently being debated in Congress.

California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.Littel says states have taken the lead in regulating toxic chemicals, citing Maine's Toxic Chemicals in Children's Products law, enacted in 2008, as one example. Littel and environmental leaders from 12 other states, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, have issued a list of recommendations for reforming the TSCA. They're urging that the reforms:

* Require Chemical Data Reporting. Chemical and product manufacturers should be required to develop and provide chemical health and safety information, as well as exposure and use data, including the presence of toxic chemicals in products and the associated chemical hazards and risks, to regulators, businesses, and the public.

* Demonstrate Chemicals and Products are Safe. Manufacturers should provide the necessary information to regulators to conclude that new and existing chemicals and products in commerce are safe and do not endanger the public or the environment. The public has a right to expect that the products they use are safe.

* Prioritize Chemicals of Concern. Government should identify and prioritize chemicals of concern in order to regulate the most problematic chemicals in commerce, and have the authority to take timely action to protect people and the environment. Sufficient resources should be made available to support these actions.

* Protect the Most Vulnerable. Chemical regulation should be designed to protect the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children.

* Promote Safer Chemicals and Products. Based on green chemistry principles, manufacturers should be required to assess and identify safer alternatives to problematic chemicals of concern. Government should establish protocols for evaluating potential alternatives to chemicals of concern.

* Address Emerging Contaminants. Emerging chemicals of concern, including nanoscale materials, need to be assessed for public and environmental safety before they go into widespread commerce and use.

* Strengthen Federal Law & Preserve States' Rights. States acknowledge the need for a strong federal chemical regulation system, while expressly preserving the authority of state and localities to implement measures to manage chemicals of concern.

* Fund State Programs. Effective state-federal governance should enhance the role of states in TSCA implementation, promote data and information sharing, and provide sustained funding for state programs. The states are in a unique position to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions for chemicals of concern prioritization, interstate data sharing, and safer chemical alternatives assessments.