A hurdle cleared: Safer Alternatives Bill reported out of committee
In Massachusetts those seeking to protect themselves and their families from toxic chemicals linked to cancer, asthma, reproductive disorders, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, learning disabilities and more have been waiting (and advocating) for a long time for passage of a law to help with that task. The Safer Alternatives Bill, which will require companies using toxic chemicals to use safer alternatives when they're available is in its 9th year before the state legislature.
This week that bill has cleared the first hurdle in it's journey towards becoming a law in the 2011-2012 legislative session: the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture released the bill on Tuesday.
The Committee Chairs, Representative Anne Gobi and Senator Marc Pacheco, polled members of the committee (which means that they took votes by email) Monday and Tuesday and received majority support for the revised bill. The bill is expected to go next to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Senator Stephen Brewer.
The Committee report squeaked in just under the wire as November 16th was the last day of the legislature's formal session for the calendar year. Formal sessions will resume in January and bill supporters are hopeful that the bill will pass quickly through the Senate then.
“We are thrilled that the Committee has taken pro-active action to move the bill forward and we especially appreciate the leadership of Chairman Pacheco and Chairwoman Gobi,” said Elizabeth Saunders, Legislative Director of Clean Water Action, a member of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow Governing Board.
What you can do:
Write to your State Senators and ask them to make it their top priority to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill when the legislative session resumes in January. It's critical that the bill be voted on soon by the Senate so that there is plenty of time to make sure that it makes its way all the way through the legislative process by next summer.
What's in the revised bill:
The revised version of the bill creates a safer alternatives program to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives wherever feasible that will include the following steps and provisions:
- Chemicals categorized into chemicals of high concern, chemicals of concern, chemicals of unknown concern, and chemicals of low concern.
- Up to 4 priority chemical substances can be designated each year from the list of chemicals of high concern.
- Manufacturers are required to notify the state of products or processes that use priority chemical substances.
- The Toxics Use Reduction Institute will research the Massachusetts uses for priority toxic substances and whether there are feasible safer alternatives available for those uses.
- Based on this reasearch, priority uses for each chemical will be selected and the Department of Environmental Protection will create chemical action plans which include plans for substituting the safer alternatives for the toxic chemical use.
- Chemical action plans shall seek to strengthen Massachusetts business and develop job opportunities.
- Manufacturers and users of priority toxic substances will be required to make substitutions, and will have options for how to meet their requirements (including applying for waivers if necessary).
- The program will start with three chemicals: (1) cadmium as found in children’s products, (2) trichloroethylene as found in industrial degreasers, and (3) nonylphenol ethoxylates as found in household cleaning products.
- The Toxics Use Reduction Act Advisory Committee (an existing group made up of labor union representatives, environmental advocates, business representatives and others) will develop recommendations for a funding mechanism for the program which the legislature must act on.
- A Technical assistance grant program will be created to assist workers or consumer organizations in making substitutions and transition assistance for any workers whose job is lost as a result of the program will be available.
The Alliance for a Heatlhy Tomorrow is looking forward to working with the Environment Committee Chairs and the bill sponsors, Representateive Jay Kaufman and Senator Katherine Clark (taking up the mantle from former Senator Steven Tolman), bring it to the finish line and work to see that this important, groudbreaking program is put in place in 2012.
Write to your State Senators today! Together we can make sure that this important program to protect our health from everyday toxic hazards is passed into law this legislative session. Our future depends on it.
