Chemicals Policy in the Great Lakes

Woodward Ballroom CFriday, October 1410:30-11:30 a.m.

Chemical Policy in Minnesota

2011 HOW Great Lakes Restoration Conference

Darrell Gerber

Outline of Presentation

» Intermediate policy work leading to comprehensive reformoState legislation passedoConsumer outreachoGreen Chemistry

» Safer Products, Made Safely» 34 Members and growing» Steering Committee

o Clean Water Action (co-chair)o Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (co-

chair)o Learning Disability Association of Minnesotao Minnesota Public Interest Research Groupo Preventing Harm Minnesotao Women’s Environmental Institute

Health Legacy

» Promotes healthy lives by supporting the production and use of everyday products without toxic chemicals. Advance safe alternatives in Minnesota througho consumer educationo business leadership, and o protective policies

Consumer Education

» Since 2007, the coalition hasoEducated thousands of

Minnesotans through presentations

oMobilized tens of thousands of Minnesotans to call, write, or email their state lawmakers

oHeld film events, forums and other events Photo by anh quan

State Legislation

» BPA Ban (2009)Bans the use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups

» Toxic Free Kids Act (2009) First step in creating a

system for identifying and replacing toxins in children’s products

Toxic Free Kids Act

» 1756 Chemicals of High Concerno Persistent and Bioaccumulative, oro Toxic, oro Very Persistent, oro Very Bioaccumulative

» Priority Chemicalso On Chemicals of High Concern list, ando High production levels (1M lbs/yr in US), and

Found in human biomonitoring, Found in wildlife, fish or natural environment, or Found in indoor air, drinking water or home environment.

Toxic Free Kids Act

» Priority ChemicalsoBisphenol A (BPA)oCadmiumoDecabromodiphenyl ether

(decaBDE)oFormaldehydeoHexabromocyclododecane

(HBCD)oLeadoPhthalates (3)

Green Chemistry Bill

» Passed 2010» Added Green Chemistry to definition of

“Green Economy”» Gives green chemistry companies access

to current economic development programs

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in Drinking Water

» Substances released to, found in, or have the potential to enter source water and:oNo human health-based

guidance;oPose real or perceived

health threat; oroHave new or changing

health or exposure information.

CECs in Drinking Water

» What it isoHealth and exposure

potentialoProactively

identify/evaluate threats

» What it is notoOther routes of exposureoEnvironmental or wildlife

impactsoPrevention

CECs in Drinking Water

» Public nomination» At least 7 new chemicals

each year» Stakeholder workgroups

focusing on developing process and public communication

Contaminants of Emerging Concern

Guidance Posted

Acetaminophen 6-Acetyl-1,1,2,4,4,7-hexamethyltetraline (AHTN or Tonalide)

Carbamazepine

1,4-Dioxane N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)

Metribuzin DA, DK and DADK

Propyl Paraben Pyraclostrobin Tris(2-Chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP)

1,2,3-Trichloropropane Triclosan

Currently Under Review

Bisphenol A (BPA) Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP)

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)

Reporting Bill

» Introduced in 2011» Priority chemicals in children’s products

manufactured or distributed in Minnesota» Report every 2 years

Comprehensive Policy Framework

» Comprehensive policy to protect children from chemicals in products

» Move from disclosure to protection

» Safer alternatives + phase-out of the worst chemicals

Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum

» Business and NGO group» Committed to fostering a

common understanding among businesses, government, NGOs and academia to advance green chemistry practice and policy in Minnesota and nationally.

Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum

» Steering Committeeo Aveda Corporation o Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy o University of Minnesota, Minnesota Technical

Assistance Program o BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota o Pauly, DeVries, Smith, Deffner LLC o Minnesota Pollution Control Agency o St. Olaf College

MN Green Chemistry 2012January 26, 2012, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

U of M Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis MN

Paul Anastas, PhD, U.S.EPA Pat Gruber, PhD, CEO Gevo

Sponsored by:• Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy• University of Minnesota: Center for Sustainable Polymers and Humphrey Institute

Center for Science, Technology & Public Policy

MPCA Green Chemistry Work

» EPA green chemistry grant to gather input» Business surveys, focus groups,

stakeholder outreach» RFP for GC demonstration projects -

$76,500» www.pca.state.mn.us/greenchemistry

Chemical Regulation and Policy Project» Stakeholder process to recommend

improvements to chemical regulation, management and policy

MembersMinnesota Technical Assistance Program

Minnesota Department of Health

Dorsey & Whitney, LLP Preventing Harm Minnesota

Winthrop & Weinstine (AMC) Hennepin County

Target Corporation Segetis

Ecolab 3M

MN Chamber of Congress Healthy Legacy

Chemical Regulation and Policy Project» Subgroups

oPolicy and Risk ManagementoScience and Risk AssessmentoGreen Chemistry

» Green Chemistry gets everyone to the table

» Little agreement elsewhere

Contact Info

Darrell Gerber

Program Coordinator

612-627-1530

dgerber@cleanwater.org

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HOW11 

Conference website:

Conference.healthylakes.org 

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