On December 5th, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the “Ban Toxic Dispersants Act” (H.R. 3562), which would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish new procedures for the use of chemical dispersants in oil cleanup efforts. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out a new rulemaking procedure to establish baseline levels of toxicity and effectiveness, taking into account a study of the acute and chronic risks posed by the use of dispersants. The EPA would be required to determine whether it is safe to use these dispersants before granting any approvals. The bill includes a temporary moratorium on the use of dispersants until the rulemaking and study ensuring their safety is complete. The EPA, however, could grant conditional approvals if it determines that there will be no negative impact on human health or the environment. The bill would also require that the ingredients and the location of applied dispersants be made available to the public online.