WSR 24-12-085
DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY
[Filed June 5, 2024, 7:37 a.m.]
Public Notice
Announcing the safer products for Washington report to the Legislature on Designation of Priority Chemicals
This notifies the public that the Washington state department of ecology (ecology) and the Washington state department of health (health) have designated priority chemicals and chemical classes for potential regulation in consumer products under the safer products for Washington program.
Ecology began the second cycle of safer products for Washington by releasing a draft version of our report that identifies chemicals or chemical classes of concern in June of 2023. After reviewing feedback from the public and interested parties, we finalized our designation of priority chemicals and chemical classes and published the final report on May 30, 2024.
Priority chemicals and chemical classes for the second cycle of safer products for Washington are:
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| • | Lead and lead compounds. |
| • | Cadmium and cadmium compounds. |
| • | Organobromine and/or organochlorine substances. |
| • | Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene substances. |
| • | Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers. |
| • | Cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes. |
| • | N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD). |
Chemicals within these classes are associated with human and environmental health impacts. Many harm sensitive populations, such as children, and sensitive species, such as salmon. Learn more about why Ecology identified these chemicals and chemical classes in our legislative report (https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/2404025) and technical supporting documentation (https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/2404026).
Project background: The toxic pollution law (chapter
70A.350 RCW) creates a way to keep harmful chemicals out of the environment. Our program that implements the law is called safer products for Washington.
The law authorizes us to regulate classes of chemicals in consumer products.
The law established a process for ecology to:
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| • | Designate priority chemicals. |
| • | Identify consumer products that contain these chemicals. |
| • | Determine needed regulatory actions, including whether to regulate those chemical-product combinations by requiring reporting or chemical restrictions. |
| • | Adopt rules to implement those regulatory actions. |
Chemical restrictions require that safer alternatives are feasible and available. Each of these steps involve stakeholder consultation and legislative reporting.
Current phase of safer products for Washington: We are currently in phase 1 of our second cycle, which starts by identifying chemicals and chemical classes of concern. We will now work with the public and interested parties to identify consumer products that are significant sources or uses of these priority chemicals.
Learn more on the safer products for Washington website, https://ecology.wa.gov/safer-products-wa.
Your feedback: We invite you to provide input on consumer products that may be significant sources or uses of these priority chemicals. We would like to hear from you about the types of consumer products you and your community use. We are also interested in feedback from manufacturers about the uses of these chemicals in consumer products.
Ecology contact: If you have any questions, please contact the safer products for Washington team, Washington state department of ecology, email SaferProductsWA@ecy.wa.gov.