The agreement allows the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to share scientific research on hazardous chemicals. It will also allow them to identify safer alternatives that can be used in the making of consumer products, anything from surgical gloves to flooring.
"California will create a list of what we call 'chemicals of concern,' chemicals that we think are sending a signal to the market place. We want manufacturers to think twice before they use those chemicals in their consumer products," Deborah Raphael explained.
California is set to finalize new regulations requiring manufacturers to find safer alternatives to some 3,000 toxic chemicals known to harm people and the environment.
