Growing Opposition to California's Weakened Green Chemistry Initiative

Protecting consumers from harmful chemicals is generally a good thing. And in California, the Green Chemistry Initiative meant to do just that -- identify and remove chemicals in toys, cosmetics and other consumer products that are toxic to health and the environment.  But what started out as a widely-supported progressive initiative has devolved into a shining example of what happens when the chemical industry helps sway legislation.

For over two years, public health, environment, justice and parent groups worked with Governor Schwarzenegger to craft the Green Chemistry Initiative, which is set to take effect on January 1st. The original initiative was meant to protect people from toxins before they reach the marketplace and expedite the removal of those substance deemed harmful.

But in November, the Department of Toxics Substance Control, which would oversee the legislation, drastically altered the rules, without even consulting their own scientific advisory group. They gave the public just 15 days to comment, despite major overhauls to provisions in the initiative, most of them favoring the chemical industry.

The bait-and-switch prompted key supporters to withdraw their endorsement. As covered on Change.org's environment blog, yesterday, 33 health and environmental organizations sent a letter to the Governor demanding the law be pulled, for fear that it could actually reverse progress. Among those calling for its withdrawal are Mike Feuer, the author of the California Green Chemistry law.

It's no surprise that organizations are angered by the weakened legislation. It would put the onus of proving a new chemical is harmful on the regulatory agency, which has limited resources, instead of the company that makes it. The redrafted legislation allows action only when there is proof of harm, which can be extermely hard to determine, given the multi-faceted nature of health outcomes from low-level chemical exposures. It would make it easier for manufacturers to replace a harmful chemical with ones that have undetermined health effects.

Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy, which is running a campaign to stop the Governor from implementing the action, notes that signing the bills into law would be "a mockery of the public participation process and betrays the real purpose of the Green Chemistry Initiative."

The new rules set forth bely the real goal of the Green Chemistry Initiative and would do more harm than good. Sign this petition telling Governor Schwarzenegger and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control that they shouldn't put forth a greenwashed initiative.

Photo credit: Lon R. Fong