The Path Forward
  - Part 9

Erika Schreder has worked for the Washington Toxics Coalition as a staff scientist since 1997. She has a master's degree in resource ecology and management and a B.S. in molecular biology. She currently directs the Clean Water for Salmon campaign, which aims to end pesticide uses that pollute water and threaten salmon.

Editor’s Note: This is the final segment of the 64-page report “Pollution in People” released May 2006 by the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition. The entire report is available as a pdf file at http://www.pollutioninpeople.org.

Part 9

Industry leaders are demonstrating that change is possible, by responding to an evolving global marketplace that is demanding safer products. In many cases, European regulations have driven companies to reformulate their products and adopt new standards. In other cases, companies see a market advantage in meeting consumer demand for less toxic, conscientiously produced products.

These stories are becoming more and more common as companies of all sizes recognize that the future lies in developing products that will last both because they are effective and because they use the safest materials.

•Health care provider Kaiser Permanente’s chemical use policy helps the company reduce its reliance on chemicals that build up in our bodies or are linked to cancer or reproductive problems. Kaiser has also embraced organic food and has farmers markets offering organic food at 25 of its medical facilities (HCWH 2005).

•Furniture maker Herman Miller has pledged to generate zero hazardous waste and zero air and water emissions by 2020. The company’s innovative design processes now include assessments of the hazards of potential materials. The company’s Mirra chair, for example, replaces PVC and PBDEs with safer alternatives.

•Dell, the largest computer manufacturer in the world, acted to phase out all PBDEs when the European Union adopted a phaseout of most PBDEs by 2006. Dell has also gone farther, developing a list of chemicals it has chosen to reduce or eliminate from its products, including lead, PVC, PBDEs and mercury.

•Cascadian Farm, which began as a small farm in the Skagit Valley in the 1970s, has grown to become a leading grower and processor of organic foods with products sold nationwide. General Mills obtained the company in 2000, recognizing the growth potential for this market.

•Cosmetics company, The Body Shop, has pledged to eliminate phthalates from its products. The company joins a group of 300 that have agreed to take this step in response to a request from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Having recognized the flaws in its previous regulatory system, which was very similar to that of the United States, the European Union is now undertaking a top-to-bottom change in the way it regulates chemicals. Its REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) initiative, which takes effect in 2007, will close the information gap by requiring companies to register and supply basic information on up to 30,000 chemicals already in use.

Companies will be required to develop and submit more extensive information on 5,000 higher-use chemicals so that regulatory agencies can evaluate them. The legislation also bans chemicals that cause cancer, mutations or reproductive harm, or that are persistent and bioaccumulative, unless these risks are adequately controlled.

In some cases, innovative businesses and industry leaders, as well as state and local government agencies, have already joined with scientists and public health experts to phase out some dangerous chemicals. But to effectively manage the more than 80,000 chemical substances currently in use, we need a new approach.

We simply cannot wait for people to get sick and then go after problem chemicals one at a time. As Washington state’s population grows and industry expands, we need a policy framework that will marry economic growth with solutions to health and environmental problems.

Washington state has proven itself as a leader when it comes to addressing the serious threat of toxic chemicals. In 1998, the Department of Ecology established the first program in the nation to phase out persistent toxic chemicals. Since that time, Ecology has developed and implemented plans to phase out mercury and PBDEs, and has supported legislation to address these threats.

But the department and others have seen the limitations of a chemical-by-chemical approach that takes action only when threats have been demonstrated. Like the current federal regulatory system, such an approach is destined to lag behind harm to people and wildlife. Washington should adopt common-sense regulations that ensure that industries use only the safest chemicals and materials to manufacture products.

Washington state can be a leader in protecting health with the following reforms:

1. Ensure that only the safest chemicals and materials are used to create consumer goods, grow food or support industries. Companies all over the world are using innovative practices to develop consumer goods that are safe and effective. Major computer manufacturers, such as Apple and Dell, have replaced the toxic flame retardants PBDEs with safer substitutes. IKEA redesigned its foam mattresses so that they no longer need any chemical flame retardant.

More and more food companies, such as Campbell’s Soup Company, are producing organic versions of their products. Right now, these success stories are the exception. For Washington to have a vibrant economy and a high quality of life, they must become the rule.

Washington needs a new chemicals policy that rewards innovative companies and moves the rest toward safer materials and practices. State government should show leadership by developing policies and programs that will get toxic chemicals out of our bodies and secure us a healthy place to live.

2. Require that companies provide full information on the chemicals they use in products and in manufacturing. We won’t achieve safer products and practices as long as we don’t ask questions or get answers about whether chemicals can harm our health and build up in our bodies. Chemicals should be tested for safety before they are ever allowed for use — just like pharmaceuticals are. And companies must make testing results available to government agencies and the public.

Washington should require companies to provide data on the health effects caused by the chemicals they produce or use in production, and make this information available to the public. Washington should start by requiring companies to submit existing health effects information as well as reports on what chemicals they use in their manufacturing processes and products.

The state should also conduct a thorough analysis to consider requiring additional tests to develop solid information about the toxicity of chemicals used in Washington and sold in our products.

3. Prevent chemicals that build up in our bodies, cause cancer or harm our fertility from being used in commerce or released from factories in our communities. The surprising truth is that chemicals that can damage children’s intellectual development, harm reproduction, cause cancer or build up in our bodies are commonly used in everyday products like cologne and non-stick pans. Products must be free of chemicals that build up in our bodies or are linked to serious health problems.

Washington state should develop immediate plans to phase these chemicals out of products and manufacturing. The plans must take on the most toxic chemicals in a comprehensive way, rather than one at a time. Safer materials are available, and governments can drive the marketplace toward safer substitutes by restricting these hazardous chemicals.

4. Invest in the development of safer chemicals, materials and processes. Forward-thinking companies have taken steps to develop products with ingredients known to be safe and produce food without pesticides. To further enable such innovation, however, we need investment from government agencies and major industries.

Much of Washington’s history has been shaped by pioneering spirit, innovation, and a strong commitment to develop new technologies. Now it’s time for Washington state to support development of production practices that no longer rely on toxic chemicals, and invest in green chemistry — processes that substitute safer and biologically-based methods for production. Research on alternatives to pesticides should also be a priority.

Universities are a key player in several arenas. They have a significant role to play in developing the basic technology for green chemistry practices, and the state legislature should support them in doing so.

Washington State University has established a startup program on Biological and Organic Agriculture to develop alternatives to toxic pesticides for growers. This program should be substantially expanded to provide resources for many crops across Washington.

To provide resources for other industries, Washington should develop an institute modeled on Massachusetts’ Toxics Use Reduction Institute, which conducts and disseminates research on safer substitutes and helps companies develop and implement plans to reduce pollution. The research and assistance should be coupled with a requirement to create and fulfill such plans. The state’s tax structure should also provide incentives for companies to reduce their use and release of toxic chemicals.

These reforms will not be completed overnight, but it is critical that we start down the path to a healthier future now. Leadership from Governor Gregoire, the Washington State Legislature and the Departments of Ecology, Health and Agriculture is essential to initiate lasting change. It’s time to create a new common-sense chemicals policy so that we can move from today’s toxic reality to a legacy of health for tomorrow. §