California has postponed final adoption of its green chemistry rules pending further review to address a variety of stakeholder concerns. As readers know from previous posts, “green chemistry” is the state’s effort to require that chemical products be designed in such a way as to reduce the use or generation of hazardous substances and reduce health and environmental risks, with a clear emphasis on finding alternatives to “chemicals of concern.”

Two bills passed in 2008 by the legislature mandated that DTSC develop regulations for identifying and prioritizing chemicals of concern, to create methods for analyzing alternatives to existing chemicals, and to create a mechanism for regulatory response, including possible restrictions or bans on certain chemicals. The laws also created a Green Ribbon Science Panel to advise DTSC, and provided for a Chemical Information Clearinghouse that will make chemical risk information more accessible to the public.

Now, the state environmental head, Secretary Linda Adams, has announced that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control will reconvene the Green Ribbon Science Panel to take another look at the proposed regulations. Those regulations, released by the DTSC last November, drew strong commentary  from both industry and environmental groups.  According to Adams, a wide range of stakeholders, including those from industry, environmental groups, scientists, and legislative leaders, have raised “substantive and valid concerns” about the most recent draft of the regulations.