Publication Summary

The Washington state departments of Ecology and Health completed and published the Washington State Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (PBDE) Chemical Action Plan: Final Plan in January, 2006. The plan was developed in response to Governor Locke′s Executive Order of January 2004 to investigate and recommend options to reduce the threat of PBDEs in the environment. An initial draft version was published in October 2004, an Interim version in December 2004, and the draft Final in December 2005.

The PBDE Chemical Action Plan (CAP) was developed through a multi-program, multi-agency effort, with external stakeholders involved at each step. External advisory committees included representatives from such varied interests as business and consumer and environmental protection. In addition, both the initial Draft and Draft Final versions were made available for public comment.

The purpose of this Response to Comments document is to report on and respond to comments received by Ecology and Health on both the Draft PBDE Chemical Action Plan (October 2004) and the Draft Final PBDE Chemical Action Plan (December 2005). Responses were received by letter, fax, email, and orally. (Oral comments were summarized from notes taken by Ecology staff.) The document begins with the most recent comments, on the Draft Final PBDE CAP.

NOTE: Appendixes B and C contain copies of all the original comment letters received. They are very large files (over 500 pages in total), and are therefore in separate publications available online. Appendix B contains comments on the Draft Final PBDE CAP, and is available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0607014B.html.