California Passes Nation’s First ” Green Chemistry’ Law

California passed legislation this week that enables the state to take more responsibility for identifying and regulating toxic chemicals in consumer products by the year 2011.

The law will focus on identifying these potentially hazardous ingredients, then regulating their use and searching for safe alternatives.

So far, this program is the most comprehensive program in any state to regulate chemicals that have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other deadly effects on human health. The new bills encompass over 80,000 chemicals now in circulation, rather than focus on one specific chemical or product such as baby bottles or computers.

One of the public concerns involving consumer products is the abundance of toy recalls over the past few years for a range of substances from lead paint to toxic flame retardants. The law comes at the same time that the U.S. as a whole is looking to address mercury use and where it ends up.