New state regs force businesses to report use of toxic chemicals

LYNN – Stricter state environmental guidelines announced Wednesday will require up to 110 more businesses in Massachusetts to report the amount of certain hazard industrial chemicals used annually in their facilities.Under the previous system, only those industries using more than 10,000 pounds of trichloroethylene (TCE), cadmium, and cadmium compounds were mandated to report. The new state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) threshold lowers that amount to 1,000 pounds.The new benchmark will not affect General Electric manufacturing operations in Lynn. GE spokesman Richard Gorham said the company uses very small amounts of those chemicals on site.”The regulation changes don’t pose an issue for us here,” he said. “We use very little of those chemicals. Years ago, they were common in paints and degreasers. But with all the attention on EH and S (environmental health and safety) we’ve pretty much eliminated those chemicals on the property and moved to safer alternatives.”Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Ian Bowles unveiled the change as the latest step toward transitioning Massachusetts industries to less toxic alternatives.The lower reporting thresholds became effective Jan. 1, and are in compliance with 2006 amendments to the Massachusetts Toxic Use Reduction Act (TURA). Bowles said other hazardous chemicals will be added to the list during 2008.Cadmium and its compounds are confirmed human carcinogens and pose potential reproductive hazards, while TCE is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable human carcinogen, according to EEA spokesman Lisa Capone.The acute health effects of TCE exposure can also include dizziness, unconsciousness, irregular heartbeat, brain damage and memory loss, she said.Lowering the TURA benchmark for these chemicals from 10,000 to 1,000 pounds is expected to expand by up to 110 the number of Massachusetts firms required to report their chemical use, according to Capone.Industries that use significant amounts of TCE, cadmium and cadmium compounds and would likely be subject to the new requirement include manufacturers and users of specialty adhesives and paints; companies that process certain plastics; electroplaters; and firms involved in industrial degreasing and cleaning.”Since its inception in 1990, the Toxic Use Reduction program has helped Massachusetts businesses reduce toxic chemical use by 41 percent and cut waste byproducts associated with toxic chemical use by 65 percent,” said Bowles, adding that the EEA’s Office of Technical Assistance and Technology “will help companies affected by the new reporting requirement find and implement less toxic, cost-effective alternatives that will allow them to operate more safely while remaining competitive in the global economy.”As part of the TURA requirements, companies using at least 1,000 pounds of these chemicals must, beginning in 2010, prepare plans on how they intend to reduce use of these substances and file plan progress updates with state DEP. Engineers and chemists from the Office of Technical Assistance and Technology (OTA) will provide confidential, on-site support to help companies identify, evaluate and implement less toxic alternatives to these three higher hazard substances, Capone said.