Stricter Rules On Hazardous Chemicals Spur Companies To Innovate New Substances, Report Says

Stronger regulation of hazardous chemicals can drive innovation and bring safer substances to market, concludes a report released last week by the Center for International Environmental Law, an advocacy group. The study examines the impacts of laws around the world on hazardous chemicals. “Well-designed laws spark the invention of alternatives” and can help safer chemicals overcome barriers to market entry, says Baskut Tuncak, a staff attorney at the center and author of the report. Effective laws can require manufacturers to demonstrate that their new and existing substances are safe; phase out substances that pose certain hazards, such as depleting stratospheric ozone or disrupting hormones; and make producers liable for pollution or harm to human health that their chemicals cause, Tuncak explains to C&EN. An association of chemical manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council, disagrees with these conclusions. “The premise that the federal government can mandate innovation is a false one,” ACC argues. Regulation often puts small and medium-sized businesses at a disadvantage, the group adds. The study is available at http://bit.ly/ViDocL.