Mercury > Ecology Leads on Reducing Toxics, Joins EPA's Partnership

Ecology Leads on Reducing Toxics, Joins EPA's Partnership

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) joining the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP). The announcement was made in a news release on Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. Ecology joined this voluntary program that encourages public and private organizations to reduce the use or release of 31 priority toxic chemicals beyond what is required by environmental regulations. The program goal is to work with states and industry to reduce the use or release of the 31 priority chemicals by four million pounds by 2011.

Under Washington's Mercury Chemical Action Plan, Ecology has committed to reducing mercury from a statewide baseline by almost 300 pounds per year by 2010. Ecology will also be voluntarily eliminating lead wheel weights from agency fleet vehicles by 2009, preventing over 200 pounds of highly-toxic lead from being released into the environment.

“Joining EPA’s NPEP program is consistent with the cutting edge work Ecology is doing to protect public health and the environment,” said Elin Miller, EPA regional administrator. “From being a leader on statewide chemical policies -like their Chemical Action Plans- to developing a West Coast States collaborative on chemicals of concern and safer alternatives, Ecology is on the environmental forefront.”

For the complete press release:
(PDF)

For more information about EPA’s NPEP program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/npep/index.htm