State Senate passes safer chemicals bill

BOSTON – The state Senate on Tuesday passed landmark legislation that requires industries to reduce or stop the use of toxic chemicals and substitute safer alternatives.The proposed law was long advocated by the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, which includes among its members Swampscott-based HealthLink, the North Shore’s most active public health and environmental advocacy group.The Safer Alternatives Bill establishes a practical, gradual approach to reducing health impacts from toxic chemicals the public is exposed to daily, said Alliance spokesman Cindy Luppi.The bill targets the worst toxic chemicals in Massachusetts, especially those that can be feasibly replaced with safer alternatives. It also mandates a careful process to evaluate alternatives and replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives where possible.”Asking manufacturers to make greener, safer products is nothing extraordinary especially when proven effective alternatives to toxic chemicals exist,” said Sen. Pamela Resor, an Acton Democrat and co-chair of the Environment Committee.Nahant’s SWIM (Safer Waters in Massachuetts), the North Shore Labor Council, the Marblehead Cancer Prevention Project, the Marblehead Pesticide Awareness Committee, the Swampscott Pesticide Awareness Committee, and SAVE (Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment), are all part of the alliance.”The senators have realized that this is a business friendly way to protect our health from toxic chemicals. It gently weans companies off outdated toxic chemicals by providing safer and more competitive alternatives,” said Lee Ketelsen, regional director of the environmental coalition Clean Water Action.Sen. Steven Tolman, a Brighton Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said, “This legislation will put Massachusetts at the forefront of responsible chemical policy and safeguard the residents of the commonwealth from the very real and unseen dangers of toxic chemicals. These chemicals have, unfortunately, become a part of our everyday lives and have been proven to be the root cause of many of the health disorders affecting the people of this state.”The Safer Alternatives Bill will require evaluation of designated “Priority Toxic Chemicals” which are used in Massachusetts and are linked to chronic illnesses, and then mandate safer alternatives to these chemicals where feasible.