We have good news: the WA Department of Ecology has released a groundbreaking set of draft recommendations to ban five different classes of toxic chemicals (PFAS, flame retardants, phenolic compounds, phthalates, and PCBs) in multiple categories of commonly used consumer products!
These new protections are a result of the first round of the Safer Products for Washington Act, which Earth Ministry/WAIPL and our partners helped pass through the state legislature in 2019. We’ve followed the implementation of this law closely, and now the Department of Ecology has asked for input on a draft of the proposed class-wide restrictions. Please submit a comment today to let Ecology know that we are grateful for their hard work in the Safer Products program.
This draft report is a BIG deal as it is proposing a significant reduction in toxics exposure and pollution. As our partners at Toxic Free Future have shared, “in most cases, adoption of these rules would make Washington the first state to ban the chemical class in the named product category.” As a result, people in Washington and beyond will benefit from safer everyday products including upholstery, carpets and rugs, laundry detergent, drink can linings, electronics casings, printing ink, personal care products, and more.
This year we’ve seen how the faith community conveying the moral need to address PFAS and other toxic chemicals has made a real impact. Just this spring, Ecology sped up their timeline for finding safer alternatives for PFAS in food packaging, which was almost entirely due to the Earth Ministry/WAIPL community speaking out on this important issue! Read more here.
It’s essential that people of faith enthusiastically raise our voice in this comment period. The rest of the country is looking to WA for this cutting edge policy and we know the chemical industry will try to water down these regulations before they are made final. Join us in taking action for comprehensive safe chemical reform! Click here to thank the Department of Ecology and ask them to keep the protections strong through the final report.
Thank you for your faithful advocacy and for working with Earth Ministry/WAIPL towards a future where toxic chemicals do not poison vulnerable populations and pollute our one and only planet.