Oregon Toxics Reduction & Green ChemistryPPRC Roundtable – October 24, 2012

Kevin Masterson, Oregon DEQAgency Toxics Coordinator

masterson.kevin@deq.state.or.us

Why Develop an Agency-Wide Toxics Reduction Strategy?

• Toxics don’t respect program boxes:– Pollutants released to air deposit to land

run off to water

• Gets us beyond chemical-by-chemical approach• Increases efficient use of resources by taking a

more integrated and strategic approach

• Complements existing DEQ toxics programs– E.g., “alternative implementation strategies” for WQ

Human Health Toxics Standards

Recent History of Key Oregon ore Regional Initiatives

• 2009-10 DEQ develops “Focus List” of priority chemicals Columbia Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan released• 2011 DEQ Toxics Reduction Strategy drafted & presented Portland State University’s chem policy white paper• 2012 Oregon Governor signs executive order promoting green

chemistry and toxics reduction

DEQ Toxics Reduction Strategy: Identifying High-Priority Toxics

• DEQ developed “Focus List” of 51 chemicals or groups of chemicals– Based on existing agency priority lists– Diverse range of chemicals– Overlaps with priorities of other organizations

• EPA Chemical Action Plans• Large national retailers

– List is not static – expect changes over time

CHEMICAL CATEGORYCHEMICAL S

Combustion & Petroleum By-

Products:Polycyclic Aromatic

Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Dioxins and Furans Napthalenes

Consumer Product Constituents:

Phthalates Triclosan 4-Nonyphenol (and Nonyphenol Ethoxylates)

Bisphenol A DEET

Current Use Pesticides:

Diazinon Chlorpyrifos Atrazine Trifluralin ChlorothalonilMalathion Permethrin Carbaryl Pentachlorophenol Diuron

Glyphosate Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), gamma-

(Lindane)

2,4-D Propoxur (Baygon) Pendamethalin

Flame Retardants and Industrial

Intermediates:

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

(PBDEs)

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Ammonia

Legacy Pesticides:

Dieldrin DDT (and metabolites)

Chlordane (and metabolites)

Aldrin Methoxychlor

Heptachlor (& Heptachlor epoxide)

Hexachlorocyclohexane, beta-

(beta-BHC)

Hexachlorobenzene Hexachlorocyclohexane, alpha- (alpha-BHC)

Metals:Mercury (and

methylmercury)Copper Cadmium Chromium Arsenic

Lead Nickel Manganese Silver

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):

Tetrachloroethylene Benzene Ethylbenzene Trichloroethylene Dichlorobenzene, 1,4- (Dichlorobenzene-p)

Toluene Formaldehyde

OREGON DEQ TOXICS FOCUS LIST (2012)

What Types of Actions are Included in the Toxics Reduction Strategy?

• 25 Actions Included in Strategy– Improving integration and prioritization of toxics

reduction activities– Enhancing effective existing reduction efforts– Addressing identified toxics reduction needs– Assessing and characterizing toxics in Oregon

• Overarching theme collaboration and partnerships

DEQ Identified 5 Priority Short-term Actions in 2012

• Short-term priority actions complement and support:– Columbia River Toxics Reduction Priorities– Green Chemistry Executive Order

• Other Toxics Strategy actions remain relevant– Work will occur as resources allow– Strategy will be regularly assessed and refined

Short-Term Priority Actions:Integrating Technical Assistance

• Combining efforts of multiple DEQ programs and agencies to achieve common goals for 2 industry sectors (Action #1)– Identify viable safer alternatives through

assessment tools & resources– Identify needs for green chemistry research and

incentives

Short-Term Priority Actions:Leveraging Market Forces

• Increase state government purchasing of safer chemical alternatives using guidelines (Action #2)

• Work with retailers and 3rd party certifiers to increase availability and visibility of low toxic consumer products (Action #3)

Short-Term Priority Actions:Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships

• Build on program that uses environmental monitoring data to focus collaborative voluntary actions (Action #4)– Existing stewardship

tools and expertise– Watershed-level data

provide measures of success

What Outcomes Are We Looking For?

Hood River Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Results

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100.000

0.010

0.020

0.030

0.040

0.050

0.060

0.070

0.080

0.090

Early Spring Chlorpyrifos - Lower Neal Creek

Average Chronic WQS Acute WQS

Year

Aver

age

(ug/

l)

Short-Term Priority ActionsCollecting Unwanted Pesticides

• Establish Statewide Pesticide Collection Program (Action # 5)– Unlike WA, no

dedicated funding source in Oregon

– Periodic events show increasing quantities

– Assembled partners to identify funding sources and coordinated plan

2012 Oregon Executive Order: Promoting Green Chemistry

• Executive Order No. 12-05: “Fostering Environmentally-Friendly Purchasing and Product Design”

• Signed April 27, 2012• Lead agencies identified:

– Department of Environmental Quality– Department of Administrative Services– Business Oregon (economic development)

Oregon Executive Order 12-05:

• 4 Key Elements of OrderDevelop outreach strategy for businesses to apply

green chemistry (select 2 sectors)Develop proposals to incentivize green chemistry

through new or existing programsStrengthen demand for low toxicity products

through state purchasing practices and guidelinesDevelop inter-agency toxics reduction strategy to

ensure efficiencies and address gaps

Next Steps & Milestones

• Present Columbia Basin priority actions to governmental executives on Nov. 1, 2012

• Present update on DEQ toxics strategy and priority actions to Environmental Quality Commission in December, 2012

• Executive order implementation start pilot purchasing initiative for cleaning products by end of 2012

• 2013 Full implementation of 5 short-term priority actions in OR toxics reduction strategy