08-10-2012, 05:19 PM
California Green Chemistry Initiative Questions & Answers
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Q. What is green chemistry?
A. Green chemistry is an innovative way to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous and toxic chemicals. Green chemistry is a fundamentally new approach to environmental protection, transitioning away from managing materials containing toxic chemicals at the end of a product’s life cycle, to reducing or eliminating the use of toxic chemicals altogether. Green chemistry encourages cleaner and less-polluting industrial processes and products, and ensures that manufacturers take greater responsibility for the products they produce.
When implementing green chemistry, those designing consumer products and determining manufacturing processes consider the public health and environmental effects of those products. Green chemistry practitioners design new processes and reformulate products to reduce or eliminate the use or releases of hazardous chemicals in several phases: 1) when companies manufacture the products; 2) when consumers use the products; and 3) when the products (and their packaging) are disposed.
For example, Columbia Forest Products has converted all of its standard hardwood plywood production to produce formaldehyde-free panels called PureBond™. As a result, the company’s switch avoids the need to address formaldehyde pollution, and reduces the adverse health effects from formaldehyde on workers and communities (www.cfpwood.com).
Q. Why do we need green chemistry?
A. Consumers do not have complete information about chemicals in the products they use or about the possible negative effects of those chemicals. With thousands of chemicals used in commerce today, a comprehensive approach is needed to reduce and eliminate the use of chemicals of concern. Green chemistry is long-term environmental protection. It promotes public health and helps protect our environment for generations to come.
For example, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has tested a variety of consumer products at its Berkeley environmental chemistry laboratory. A child’s necklace, labeled “nickel and lead free,” was found to have nearly one percent (by weight) lead—which exceeds hazardous waste criteria. A child’s lunchbox was analyzed and found to contain high levels of lead and cadmium—another toxic metal.
Q. What is the California Green Chemistry Initiative?
A. The California Green Chemistry Initiative is a collaborative approach for identifying options to significantly reduce the impacts of toxic chemicals on public health and the environment. The initiative will provide recommendations for developing a consistent means for evaluating risk, reducing exposure, encouraging less-toxic industrial processes and identifying safer alternatives.
The initiative will be accomplished through a transparent process, with stakeholder involvement. Communication will be facilitated through workshops, symposia and conferences, stakeholder meetings, Web site communications, in addition to consultation with universities, environmental, industry and public interest groups, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other government agencies.
Most importantly, the California Green Chemistry Initiative will ensure a comprehensive and collaborative approach, to increase accountability and effectiveness of environmental programs across state government.
Q. Why does California need a comprehensive approach to toxic chemicals?
A. A recent study by the University of California at Berkeley concluded that we know little about many of the chemicals used in commerce. The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) is initiating the California Green Chemistry Initiative to take a comprehensive look at a chemicals policy for California. In recent years, a handful of bills each year have been signed into law, each addressing a small piece of chemical policy (i.e., bans on certain flame retardants (PDBE), cosmetics regulations, lead in candy, and lead in pipes). Cal/EPA and its boards, departments, and office have also been dealing with chemical policy decisions one by one by way of regulations, ordinances and studies. Some cities, such as San Francisco, are taking on chemical policy decisions at the local level. This chemical-by-chemical and product-by-product approach is leading to a patchwork quilt of chemical regulation. A comprehensive and unified approach is needed to ensure accountability and effectiveness.