Guiding Principles

The ASC and its member companies as an association of manufacturers, suppliers and consultants will act with integrity and responsibility to protect the environment and to promote the health, safety, and economic well-being of its customers, employees, and the general public.

Integrity in the area of government relations will be understood to include countering what is believed to be a technically incorrect regulatory position or the imposition of an unreasonable time and/or economic constraints, as determined by a consensus of ASC member companies impacted by and involved with the issue, irrespective of whether these actions aid or detract from the marketing efforts by individual companies for specific products.

ASC will assist members by serving as a conduit of information and dialogue covering various governmental agencies: federal state, and local. ASC will research and provide this technical and market information which impacts an issue or government regulation and will serve as a facilitator within the membership and with outside agencies or other organizations where appropriate.

ASC members have the right to be heard and petition ASC for action on issues of import to them, to be involved in the process, to have access to current information, and to be notified before any action is taken under ASC auspices.

Defined Tactics Under ASC Board Auspices

• Serve as a facilitator and provide forums which allow member companies to understand and address government relations issues which may impact their operations. Aid in formation of ethically responsible positions.
• Monitor government relations issues that potentially may impact member companies and provide opportunities for building a consensus approach to addressing these issues.
• Maintain contact with major pertinent regulatory bodies and other associations or groups addressing similar or corresponding issues.
• Determine resources that may be needed to study an issue or effectively support a position and recommend options for providing those resources. Gain ASC Board approval prior to any official ASC action or external statement in order to insure that the Council's guiding principles apply, and the action or external statement reflects the maximum possible consensus of the members involved.
• Gain Board approval for significant funding.

Funding Special ASC Government Affairs Activities

Prior to undertaking official ASC advocacy, action, or external statements on government affairs issues in administrative, legislative or judicial forums, the ASC President is authorized to make expenditures of funds to conduct preliminary research, monitoring, and dialogue to identify or analyze issues affecting all ASC member companies or groups of member companies.

Absent specific Board approval, these expenditures are not to exceed $10,000 annually for each issue, but within the maximum amount budgeted by the Board for all such issues; it is anticipated that these funds would be spent to engage consultants or experts, to conduct meetings or travel, or for other endeavors beyond normal ASC salaries and overhead.

If, as a result of these preliminary endeavors, the Board determines that official ASC advocacy, action, or external statements are warranted with respect to an issue, ASC will seek commitments from the affected member companies to provide reimbursement of funds estimated to be needed for the official ASC advocacy, action, or external statements. Companies that commit to providing reimbursement will have the opportunity to participate in ASC's management of the issue. The Board may also determine to request voluntary reimbursement by affected member companies of the original (i.e., up to $10,000) expenditures.

ASC Board Resolution
September 8, 1994

Key Accomplishments (1995-present)

TSCA Legislative Reform
Legislative efforts are underway in Congress to make significant revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Written in 1976 to protect the public from risks created by manufactured chemicals, there has been a general consensus that the regulation is somewhat out of step with chemical production, science and public expectations regarding testing.
                                                     
Since early 2010, Congress has held exploratory hearings and begun drafting reform language. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has formally introduced legislation (S. 3209, Safe Chemicals Act of 2010) in the Senate. In the House, Congressmen Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bobby Rush’s (D-IL) staffs have circulated draft language (Toxic Chemical Safety Act of 2010), which has been reviewed by congressional staff, nongovernmental organizations and industry.