The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking new ways to address toxic chemicals and toxic pollution in that state. To that end, the agency recently released a white paper titled Toxics Policy Reform for Washington State.
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Download NowEcology created a group of business, government, academic, and nongovernmental leaders to discuss toxics outside of the traditional approaches. The result is a white paper addressing concerns and offering recommendations for dealing with toxic substances in a manner that produces better human health, environmental, and economic outcomes. Among the 12 major recommendations were:
- Adding to the list of priority chemicals those that are widely used and can have toxic effects at low doses, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals;
- Becoming a national leader in green chemistry;
- Developing consumer education campaigns;
- Evaluating and encouraging safer alternatives and toxic source reduction; and
- Giving Ecology the authority to ban or restrict priority toxic chemicals in appropriate and well-defined situations.
The recommendations will be used as the basis for a much broader interaction with stakeholders to find and implement more effective solutions to toxic chemicals.
INFO: Contact Ecology’s Kathy Davis at 360-407-6149.
Click here for the white paper.