State to probe development of 'green' chemicals

The proposals are an attempt to change the approach to environmental health from a chemical-by-chemical squabble to a wholesale shift in the way industry manufactures compounds used in products as varied as prescription drugs, plastic food packaging, pesticides, cosmetics and household cleaners.

State officials today will unveil the initial ideas for spurring innovation that could lead to nontoxic substitutes for many of the thousands of chemicals on which industries rely. The strategy, if adopted, would be the first in the nation.

About 80,000 compounds are used commercially in the United States, and many are polluting the water and air, accumulating in human bodies, spreading globally in the environment and harming wildlife. For nearly all of them, the effects on human health are unknown.

The report by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control will list 818 ideas to be considered. Detailed recommendations are expected to be sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in July.

"The goal is to blast California way ahead of the world," said Maureen Gorsen, director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control. "We're trying to develop an entirely new state policy framework to move California to a . . . sustainable society. No government's ever done that."

Linda Adams, secretary of the state Environmental Protection Agency, initiated the effort in April by authorizing Gorsen's department to collect ideas for promoting "green chemistry." Eight months of blogging, forums and other attempts to solicit ideas from business leaders, scientists, environmentalists and academic experts followed.

The state's initiative was spurred by a UC Berkeley report in March that said the United States had fallen behind in protecting people and the environment from toxic chemicals. The report, commissioned by the Legislature, encouraged California to act in the wake of weak federal regulations.

Among eight recommendations considered fundamental is changing the state's procurement process to take into account the environmental effects and "life cycle" costs when contracts are awarded and products purchased. For example, this could lead to the purchase of more alternative-fuel vehicles. Another key recommendation is to expand state programs for helping businesses prevent pollution.