Comments on: Safer Alternatives Bill http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3280 State Senator -- 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex -- Democrat Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:18:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Will Brownsberger http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3280#comment-754 Will Brownsberger Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:15:33 +0000 http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3280#comment-754 It's an area I haven't gone into deeply. It's a concept that makes sense and deserves continued advocacy: Most agree that we should be eliminating as many unnecessarily hazardous chemicals as possible from consumer products -- the legislation has broad sponsorship. On the other hand, the question of which chemicals are unnecessary -- i.e., for which chemicals there really are safe alternatives -- is a question which people do sometimes disagree on in good faith. The chemical companies seem to fear that the judgments made by government lawyers and scientists will not always be correct. I come down in favor based on the hope and belief (based on examples offered by the advocates) that additional scientific attention to chemical safety can often lead to process reengineering that actually saves money and improves products while preserving safety. But industry opposition is strong and the legislature is therefore uncertain on the issue. Collective uncertainty explains the lack of action on the bill so far. It’s an area I haven’t gone into deeply. It’s a concept that makes sense and deserves continued advocacy: Most agree that we should be eliminating as many unnecessarily hazardous chemicals as possible from consumer products — the legislation has broad sponsorship. On the other hand, the question of which chemicals are unnecessary — i.e., for which chemicals there really are safe alternatives — is a question which people do sometimes disagree on in good faith. The chemical companies seem to fear that the judgments made by government lawyers and scientists will not always be correct.

I come down in favor based on the hope and belief (based on examples offered by the advocates) that additional scientific attention to chemical safety can often lead to process reengineering that actually saves money and improves products while preserving safety.

But industry opposition is strong and the legislature is therefore uncertain on the issue. Collective uncertainty explains the lack of action on the bill so far.

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