Ecology Priorities > Reducing Toxic Threats > Reducing Toxic Threats > What Ecology is doing

What Ecology is doing

• What Ecology is doing
• Prevention
• Projects, Initiatives, Programs

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What Ecology is doing

Ecology has three ways to reduce toxic threats. We can:

• Clean up after toxics have polluted air, land or water.
• Limit or manage the amount of toxic chemicals that are put into the environment.
• Prevent toxic chemicals from being used in the first place.

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Prevention

Preventing the use of toxic chemicals is the smartest, cheapest and healthiest approach. Ecology’s initiative to Reduce Toxic Threats is focusing more and more on prevention strategies. These strategies will ultimately be more effective and less costly than either cleanup or management of toxic chemicals.

Prevention strategies need to take into account challenges such as:

• A lack of data: information on the presence of toxic chemicals in products is often not available. Without these data, it is difficult to know what risks we face from these products.
• Poor understanding of life-cycle impacts: Manufacturers usually do not include cleanup or disposal costs when they make product design decisions. As a result, costs for cleanup and disposal often fall upon the tax payer.
• Lack of incentives and assistance to reduce use of toxic chemicals: The use of fewer toxic chemicals in products is the surest way to avoid being exposed to these chemicals, not to mention the cleanup costs. But in many cases, it is cheaper in the short term for producers to keep using these chemicals.
• Inadequate protections at the federal level: The current national system does to provide enough protections from the use of toxic chemicals. As a result, the state must step in.

Department of Ecology is building its capacity to prevent problems caused by the ongoing use of toxic chemicals. Our strategy aims to:

• Protect the most vulnerable human and wildlife populations, especially children.
• Expand producer responsibility to improve product safety.
• Strengthen our ability to gather data on the presence of toxic chemicals in products and the environment.
• Continue to act to reduce and phase out the worst of these toxic chemicals, known as PBTs or persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals. This is the basis for our Chemical Action Plans.
• Expand incentives and regulations to spur development of safe alternatives to toxic chemicals and reduce their use.

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Projects, Initiatives, Programs

• Persistent Bioaccumulating Toxins and Chemical Action Plans - Reducing and phasing out the “worst of the worst” chemicals for current and future generations.

 

• Beyond Waste - eliminate wastes and toxics whenever we can and use the remaining wastes as resources.

 

• Urban Waters Initiative - Many of Washington State′s urban waters are filled with dangerous chemicals from industrial sources, contaminated sites, stormwater, municipal wastewater, and businesses that use hazardous wastes. Once in the water, these chemicals enter the food chain and threaten human health and the environment.

 

• Local Source Control Program - helping small businesses control, reduce, or eliminate toxic pollution sources.

 

• Toxic Free Tips - Engage citizens in the Beyond Waste Plan vision by encouraging the safe use and disposal of hazardous household products, and the use of safer alternatives. Promote Ecology’s Reducing Toxic Threats Initiative, including our work related to the Puget Sound, Children’s Safe Products Act, PBT Initiative and Chemical Action Plans for Lead and Mercury.