The California Green Chemistry Initiative goes into effect October 1, 2013. The intent of the law is to reduce toxic chemicals in consumer goods and products and replace those chemicals with safer alternatives.
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (“DTSC”) has already selected 164 “Chemicals of Concern.” They wereculled from an already existing list of 1,060 “Candidate Chemicals,” which were identified as dangerous to health or the environment. By April 2014, the DTSC will select from the list of 164 “Chemicals of Concern” the first five “Priority Products” or categories of products containing “high-risk chemicals.” The priority products list will be available for public review and comment for up to a year.
Manufacturers with a priority product are required under the law to perform an “alternative assessment” and to “evaluate and reformulate” using safer alternatives. For more information, on California’s Green Chemistry Initiative or any other Environmental Law issue, please contact Brian J. Bergman at [email protected] or 310-470-6110.
BRIAN J. BERGMAN’s practice focuses primarily on construction, environmental, land use, and general business law and litigation. Mr. Bergman has a broad range of experience in environmental and land use litigation, including matters under CERCLA, CWA, CAA, CEQA, OPA, Proposition 65, eminent domain, and state nuisance and trespass actions. Mr. Bergman has represented clients on matters before the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and DTSC. He was the Chair of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee for the South Robertson Neighborhoods Council from 2008-2010 (City of Los Angeles), and is a co-author of California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (“CASH”) 2009 Environmental Mitigation Handbook. Mr. Bergman regularly speaks and writes on environmental and land use issues. Mr. Bergman was named a 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 “Southern California Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers magazine and was selected as an Associate Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.