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Department of Ecology News Release - Aug. 22, 2000
00-166
OLYMPIA - The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) today unveiled a draft strategy for further reducing or eliminating long-lasting toxic chemicals that build up in humans and animals.
"As a society, we've done a lot to protect ourselves and our kids from chemicals that can cause immediate injury, but we also need to pay more attention to chemicals that pose a ticking time bomb for our long-term well-being," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons.
Because these so-called "persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic" chemicals (PBTs) take a long time to break down into safer components, they have become a part of the food chain, accumulating in the bodies of humans and animals, and posing a long-term hazard.
A growing body of scientific information indicates the substances can cause behavioral changes and higher rates of disease, as well as alter blood chemistry, hamper immune systems, impair growth and development, and damage organs and nervous systems.
Ecology's strategy calls for the state to work with citizens, businesses and industries to prevent the creation and release of these chemicals to the environment. In addition, contamination should be cleaned up, where possible, to prevent exposure to humans and animals.
Some PBT chemicals are created solely through a variety of human activities, while others may occur naturally in the environment. Some of the chemicals (such as those used in pesticides) may have beneficial uses for humans, while others have no known beneficial use.
Fitzsimmons noted that industrial facilities and pesticides historically have been the most significant sources of such chemicals. But activities people do every day also contribute to the problem. They include outdoor burning, automobile exhaust, leaking motor oil, and improperly disposing consumer products that contain or may generate PBT chemicals.
"You can't put a child-proof cap on a tailpipe or a Mr. Yuck sticker on a bonfire, but those common activities do generate long-term toxics that can cause future health problems," Fitzsimmons said.
Consumer products like thermometers that contain mercury, bleached papers, and used motor oils also contain or contribute to the release of PBTs. "People need to be more aware about how they contribute to the buildup of long-term toxics and how to avoid it," said Fitzsimmons.
Initially, the strategy calls for taking action on nine persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals that are present in Washington's environment due to past or current practices. They are: Aldrin/Dieldrin, benzo(a)pyrene, Chlordane, DDT (and DDD/DDE), dioxins and furans, hexachlorobenzene, mercury, PCBs, and toxaphene.
Additional chemicals could be considered for action in the future using a prioritizing method developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its national strategy on PBT chemicals.
Ecology's Draft Strategy to Continually Reduce Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic Chemicals in Washington State is available on the department's Web site at: www.wa.gov/ecology, then click on the "PBT Initiative" link in the righthand column. Printed versions may be obtained by calling Gayla Lord at 360-407-6695.
The Ecology Department will accept public comments on the draft through Oct. 30. People may speak at one of five public meetings scheduled in various communities around Washington, or submit written remarks to the mail or e-mail addresses printed below. After the comment period, the draft will be revised and presented to the state legislature by the end of the year, as required by legislation adopted during the 2000 legislative session.
All five public meetings will begin with an informational open house at 6 p.m., followed by the public meeting at 7 p.m. The dates and locations are:
Send written comments to Mike Gallagher, Dept. of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600, or e-mail to mgal461@ecy.wa.gov.
Media contact: Sheryl Hutchison, Communication Director, 360-407-7004
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
