M8.4 Chemical Policy Reform

The Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals

My group suggested numerous ideas to create better chemical policies. The following list is a summary of the overarching themes/elements suggested by the group:

1. Require consumer education about their risk regarding chemical exposure and identify ways they can mitigate their risk.
2. Clearly label chemicals and products that contain chemicals. 
3. Tighter government regulation of chemicals that can cause severe harm (example: mandates restricting gasoline or pesticide usage and requiring smoke or fragrance free environments). 
4. Improved safety testing methods and a longer approval process. 
5. Hold chemical manufacturers more accountable.
6. Remove harmful chemicals off the market as soon as harm is discovered.

These strategies are similar to those of the Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals. During this convention, authorities agreed that chemical policies should require safer, less harmful chemicals be used as a first-line defense; ban persistent chemicals; provide consumers and workers information about chemicals; quickly follow-up on any early indications that new or existing chemicals may be harmful; mandate comprehensive safety testing on all chemicals; and take immediate action if harmful exposure does occur. My group touched on most of the same points, except for specifically naming persistent chemicals as a class of chemicals to ban and addressing the actions to take if chemical exposure does occur. These are two very important pieces that we did not discuss. 

The most challenging aspects of a task such as the Louisville Charter include identifying priorities among competing areas of need and finding consensus. The authors of this charter also clearly and succinctly explained the importance of each article within the charter. This was an influential document that has affected policy reforms on both micro and macro levels.