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A RESOLUTION supporting collaborative efforts to improve the health and well-being of King County residents and the environment by reducing exposure and use of hazardous chemicals and replacing those used in homes and businesses with safer alternatives.
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WHEREAS, it is vital to protect and enhance public health by reducing the use of toxic chemicals and increasing the use of safer alternatives, and it is essential for this to be grounded in the principles of equity and social justice, and
WHEREAS, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2016, which amends and updates the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA"), and
WHEREAS, under the updated TSCA, the Environmental Protection Agency ("the EPA") must assess the 85,000 chemicals allowed for use in the United States against a risk-based health standard and unreasonable risks identified in the risk evaluation must be eliminated, and
WHEREAS, international and national health agencies and programs, such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the EPA recognize that many of these chemicals used in commerce and available to the public can have severe health impacts on adults, children, and the environment, and
WHERAS, the state of Washington has been a leader in reducing exposure to harmful chemicals by phasing out chemicals such as lead, phthalates, highly fluorinated substances, also known as PFAS, and some toxic flame retardants from certain products and King County has supported these efforts, and
WHEREAS, in an effort to comply with environmental regulations, there are several examples of hazardous chemicals being replaced with "regrettable substitutes," and having severe effects on workers, children and others, including vulnerable populations and
WHEREAS, a "regrettable substitute" is a chemical that has unknown, if not more severe, health and environmental impacts than the chemical it replaced, and
WHEREAS, it is vital for the health and well-being of King County residents and the environment that any priority chemical be replaced by a "safer alternative," which is a replacement that has fewer health and environmental impacts and is functional and cost effective, and
WHEREAS, the field of "green chemistry," which is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances, is a burgeoning discipline, and
WHEREAS, the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program's mission is to protect and enhance public health and environmental quality in King County by reducing the threat posed by the production, use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials, and
WHEREAS, the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program is establishing a Safer Alternative Strategy to assess hazardous chemicals, including those being evaluated by the EPA for restrictions such as perchloroethylene, which is a human carcinogen used extensively in dry cleaning facilities in King County, and ensure that such chemicals are replaced by safer alternatives and not regrettable substitutes, and
WHEREAS, the Safer Alternative Strategy will be grounded in King County's principles of equity and social justice, including considerations of cost, availability, performance and other socioeconomic factors that can be barriers to underserved communities adopting safer alternatives;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Health of King County:
A. The Board of Health commends the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program on its leadership in responding locally to the national changes in chemical regulation brought by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.
B. The Board of Health encourages the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program to consider, leverage and build upon its Safer Alternative Strategy as it develops future strategies to encourage safer alternatives and green chemistry initiatives in King County.
C. The Board of Health encourages the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program to collaborate and partner with state and regional stakeholders in its efforts to further reduce the threat posed by the production, use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.