No More Recreating the Wheel
As state budgets become tighter, and threats of cuts loom, Washington and nine other states have found a way to make the most of limited resources when it comes to toxic chemicals. Thanks to a new partnership, these ten states won’t have to recreate the wheel when it comes to assessing the toxic threats of chemicals and consumer products.
As state budgets become tighter, and threats of cuts loom, Washington and nine other states have found a way to make the most of limited resources when it comes to toxic chemicals. Thanks to a new partnership, these ten states won’t have to recreate the wheel when it comes to assessing the toxic threats of chemicals and consumer products.
Recently ten states, including Washington, announced the creation of an umbrella organization, called the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2). The IC2 is intended to make it easier for state regulators to share critical information on chemical use, toxicity, exposure and safer alternatives. It’s not rocket science, just simple sharing of information, but it will help these states continue moving forward with efforts to protect public health and the environment from toxic chemicals.
Thanks to the outdated federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the lack of information on chemicals has long been a barrier to effective state regulation on toxic chemicals. The IC2 states hope the new partnership will facilitate information sharing, keeping down costs and making protection of people and the environment easier.
The IC2 comes online at a particularly key time as efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals in consumer products continue to grow at the state level. Our coalition partner, SaferStates, has an excellent post this month on increasing momentum in the states for stronger toxics laws and highlight the IC2. Washington State’s Director of Ecology, Ted Sturdevant, is quoted:
