• WHAT: Community Forum to Discuss Safer Consumer Product Regulations, part of California’s Green Chemistry Initiative
• WHO: Department of Toxic Substances Control  (DTSC) Chief Deputy Director Odette Madriago, hosted by Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE)
• WHEN: Friday, December 16, 2011
  1:00 – 2:30 — Toxics Regulation and Green Chemistry 101 (a pre-training for those who wanting to know more about toxics and the DSTC regulation)
  3:00 – 4:30 — DTSC Deputy Director Odette Madriago and staff (short presentation from DTSC, majority time for questions/discussion from the community)
• WHERE: Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (downtown LA) 244 S. San Pedro Street, Suite 505, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Parking in nearby lots ($5-10) and some street parking available
• RSVP: Nourbese Flint (nourbese@bwwla.org, 323-290-5955) or Ana Mascareñas (amascarenas@psr-la.org, 213-689-9170)

Food will be provided. No cost to attend. Spanish translation available. Children welcome!

Please join us for this conversation! Contact Nourbese Flint (nourbese@bwwla.org, 323-290-5955) or Ana Mascareñas (amascarenas@psr-la.org, 213-689-9170) if you have any questions. Learn more at www.changecalifornia.org.

You are invited to attend an important Community Forum on December 16th, from 3:00-4:30pm with key officials of Cal EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The statewide coalition, Californians for a Healthy and Green Economony (CHANGE), will be hosting this meeting to discuss key health and environment topics on the department’s informal draft Safer Consumer Products Regulation to implement AB 1879 (read more on DTSC’s website: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SCPRegulations.cfm). CHANGE is a broad-based coalition of more than thirty environmental and environmental justice groups, health organizations, labor advocates, community based groups, parent organizations, and others working to change chemical policies for the protection of workers, children, public health, the environment, and the economy.

California has come a long way towards establishing a landmark program for safer products, which is just one step of the state’s Green Chemistry Initiative. This forum will provide an opportunity to learn about this regulation, and is a critical time to voice any concerns while it is still being developed. Over the past three years, members of the CHANGE coalition have faithfully participated in the public input process for this regulation, and we are proud to host this Southern California forum to continue the public dialogue.

In 2008, the California legislature set out to address the problem of harmful products in our daily lives by adopting a multi-pronged Green Chemistry Initiative. As part of this initiative, Assembly Bill 1879 (authored by Mike Feuer from Santa Monica) was signed into law. The statute directs CalEPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to develop a process for identifying harmful chemicals and products, which will include the analysis and development of safer alternatives.  DTSC is calling the draft regulations the Safer Consumer Products Regulations.

A version of these regulations was promulgated by DTSC at the end of 2010 in the final days of the Schwarzenegger Administration, but was quickly withdrawn because of sharp criticism from nearly all non-industry groups, including the bill’s author. Under new leadership at DTSC, a revised informal draft regulation was released on October 31st of this year, and the agency is accepting public comments until December 30, 2011.