Regulatory Information
Government Links – Regulatory, Green Chemistry, and Alternatives Information
Alameda County Water District (ACWD)
ACWD provides usage and quality data on water for Alameda County and information for customers, including home water audits. The website includes resources regarding conservation, education materials for those within the district, and tools for self-assessment of water quality.
Canadian New Substances Search Engine
https://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/nsb/search/eng/cp_search_e.cfm
The Canadian New Substances search engine is combined with the DSL to provide the name and the list on which the chemical is included. The New Substances list in particular identifies substances that existed on the Canadian market after the 1984-1986 period of the DSL and were defined as toxic or capable of becoming toxic by CEPA 1999. The new substances being added are considered to be ongoing updates to the DSL.
Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Toxic Substances List
https://www.ec.gc.ca/lcpe-cepa/default.asp?lang=En&n=0DA2924D-1
CEPA 1999 includes regulations to protect the environment and human health and establishes strict timelines for managing substances found toxic under the Act, which compose the Toxic Substances List. These substances determined to be “toxic”, persistent, bioaccumulative, anthropogenic, and which are not naturally occurring radionuclides or naturally occurring inorganic substances shall be proposed for implementation of virtual elimination. A substance is declared “CEPA-toxic” as a result of a systematic, risk-based assessment.
California Air Resources Board(CARB), Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) Identification List
https://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/id/taclist.htm
The TAC Identification List is composed of substances that have been identified by the State Board as toxic air contaminants. If there are known threshold exposure levels for any of these contaminants, these have been listed along with any reports from exposure assessments, health effect studies, and public comments.
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) / California Department of Public Health, Notification Level List for Chemicals in Drinking Water
https://oehha.ca.gov/water/pals/
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Pages/NotificationLevels.aspx
The Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management (DDWEM) Notification Levels are health-based advisory levels for chemicals in drinking water that are established for chemicals for which there are no formal regulatory standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs). OEHHA occasionally performs a risk assessment of the chemical using standard risk and exposure assumptions and proposes a health-protective level. These risk assessments are provided along with the list of chemicals.
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), Proposition 65 Chemical List
https://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html
California’s OEHHA publishes and updates the Prop 65 list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or developmental/reproductive toxicity. It adopts safe harbor levels for the chemicals and provides guidance for calculating a level in the absence of this safe harbor level. Businesses that cause exposures greater than the safe harbor level must notify customers and/or consumers with Prop 65 warnings.
Chemical Safety Information from Intergovernmental Organizations (INCHEM)
IPCS INCHEM is an invaluable tool that focuses on safety and the sound management for a wide range of commercial chemicals. It consolidates current, internationally peer-reviewed chemical safety-related publications and database records from international bodies, for public access.
Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)
The CPSC aims to protect consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. It provides information on various consumer products, recall lawsuits, safety education, regulations and legislation, and research and statistics on injuries related to the products. CPSC also allows for online reporting of unsafe products.
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Information on Chemicals
https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals
The ECHA Information on Chemicals section serves as a gateway to ECHA’s public databases on chemical substances, which contain a large range of information including chemical/physical properties, environmental impact, uses, toxicological data, etc. It also includes information on registration dossiers for substances where a testing proposal has been made, together with information related to the transitional arrangements from the previous chemicals legislation.
European Chemical Substances Information System (ESIS)
https://esis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/
EC-ESIS is a database containing information and data regarding various chemicals in the European chemical inventory which are compiled through multiple chemical lists, some of which are now managed by the European Chemical Agency. It provides some hazard and trade data as well as any EU Commission decisions.
European Commission – Environment
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm
The European Commission- Environment focuses on the environmental quality regulations focused on protection and prevention. The website contains information about their policies with regard to air, chemicals, soil, noise, water, waste, among many others. It also publishes old, proposed, and new legislation on various environmental issues.
European Environment Agency (EEA)
The EEA publishes news articles, regulations, reports, and data trends, all regarding the environment in Europe. The Late Lessons from Early Warnings report series focuses on gathering information on the hazards of human economic activities and using this information to take action in better protecting the environment and the health of the species and ecosystems.
European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) Working Conditions, Health and Safety Department
https://www.etui.org/en/Topics/Health-Safety
As part of the ETUI, the Health and Safety department publishes reports, periodicals, research, and newsletters regarding occupational health and safety in Europe. It provides access to their database of over 6,000 references.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH)
https://www.ttl.fi/en/Pages/default.aspx
FIOH is a research and specialist organization in the field of occupational health and safety. It examines various health and safety hazards and produce tools to improve occupational health and reduce risks.
International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO is a tripartite agency of workers, employers, and governments and a specialized part of the United Nations. It emphasizes the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. The website contains information about work-related issues in news and research publications. Especially relevant is the Safety and Health at Work segment. Resources in different languages include hazard information, training materials and posters.
Japanese Government, Classification of Chemicals Implementing the Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
https://www.safe.nite.go.jp/english/ghs_index.html
In response to GHS, Japan launched GHS Inter-ministerial Committee in 2001. As a result, the GHS-related UN documents have been translated into Japanese, the GHS Classification Manual and Technical Guidance used for GHS classification have been published, and approximately 1,500 chemicals have been classified by GHS. All of these documents are available through the NITE website.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Control Banding
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/
NIOSH Control Banding is a technique used to assess and manage workplace risks, basing workplace control measures, such as ventilation or engineering controls, on a range or “band” of hazards and exposures. This process capitalizes on the experience of controlling occupational chemical exposures and expanding those solutions to other similar exposure concerns. Control banding is most effective when used with health and safety practices such as chemical substitution.
New Jersey Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
https://web.doh.state.nj.us/rtkhsfs/indexfs.aspx
The Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets are prepared on pure substances and contain information on health hazards, exposure limits, personal protective equipment, proper handling, first aid, and emergency procedures for fires and spills. These are formatted similar to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and include a glossary. More than half of the sheets have also been translated to Spanish.
New Zealand Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Chemical Classification Information Database (CCID)
https://www.epa.govt.nz/search-databases/Pages/HSNO-CCID.aspx
The CCID details the chemicals classified in accordance with the HSNO regulations and is an implementation of the GHS. The CCID is used by industry to classify formulated products and can be used to formulate less hazardous products by providing the classification information on potential alternative components. The CCID provides chemical identification information, hazard classifications and classification data.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Occupational Chemical Database
https://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/
This chemical database is maintained by OSHA as a convenient reference for the occupational safety and health community. It compiles information from several government agencies and organizations and includes data on physical properties, occupational safety classifications, exposure guidelines, NIOSH Pocket Guide, and emergency response information, including the DOT Emergency Response Guide. The chemicals are indexed by name and CASRN.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA provides extensive information about specific chemicals and the processes and industries in which they are used. Their website includes OSHA standards, directives and interpretations apply, relevant standards from standards organizations, how to recognize the hazard, examples of possible solutions, related topics, and publications and other resources.
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
SAICM is a policy framework to foster sound chemicals management and promote chemical safety, supported by progressive environmental and labor groups. It supports the goal of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health, according to the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. The text of the framework is publicly available.
Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI), Restricted Substances Database of Sweden
https://webapps.kemi.se/begransningsdatabasen/Sok.aspx
The Restricted Substances Database is an aid to rapidly search rules on prohibitions and other restrictions on use in Sweden that apply to individual chemical substances or groups of substances in the Swedish Chemicals Agency’s area of activity. The information contained in the database is limited to the specific provisions that apply to individual chemical substances or groups of substances.
U.K. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
COSHH requires employers to control known or potential hazardous substances. Employers must conduct a COSHH assessment to identify the health hazards, determine how to reduce and prevent harm, ensure that control measures are used and effective, and provide training and monitoring when applicable. The website provides guidelines for conducting the assessment and provides a toolbox to control workplace risks in addition to various resources to assist with the assessment.
U.K. Coordinated Chemicals Risk Management Programme Publications
https://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/chemicals/ukrisk.htm
The Coordinated Chemical Risk Management Programme was launched in July 2005 to take forward the hazard and risk assessment and risk management of chemicals in the UK in the period leading up to the REACH Regulations first assessments. The work largely mirrored that which had taken place under the OECD hazard assessment programme and the Existing Substances Regulations (ESR) risk assessment programme.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP provides a vast array of materials including a Resource Kit on Sustainable Consumption & Production, a Life Cycle Initiative, and reports on various environmental topics. The Resource Efficiency Program also recently launched the Global Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Clearinghouse, which consists of a large collection of materials revolving around SCP.
U.S. EPA, Green Chemistry
https://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry
The U.S. EPA information about green chemistry–the design of chemical products and processes that get rid of, or reduce the use and generation of hazardous substances.
U.S. EPA, Design for the Environment
https://www.epa.gov/dfe/index.htm
The program evaluates products labels only those that have met the program’s highly protective standards. By allowing use of the logo on products, EPA empowers consumers and commercial purchasers to select safer chemical products that do not sacrifice quality or performance—and are safer for people and the planet. As a baseline, DfE criteria exclude chemicals that fall into the following categories: carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive or developmental toxicants;PBTs; systemic or internal organ toxicants; asthmagens; sensitizers (only allowed if disclosed on the product label); and chemicals on authoritative lists of chemicals of concern.
Washington State Department of Ecology Persistent, Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBT) Initiative
https://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/pbt/
The PBT Initiative aims to reduce and phase-out the use, release, and exposure to PBTs in Washington in order to reduce and eliminate threats to human health and the environment. The PBT List is published and Chemical Action Plans (CAPs) are being created for each substance currently on the list.
Private Sector Links – Regulatory, Green Chemistry, and Alternatives Information
No links at this time.
Non Governmental Organization Links – Regulatory, Green Chemistry, and Alternatives Information
No links at this time.
Academic Links – Regulatory, Green Chemistry, and Alternatives Information
Alternatives Assessment Framework of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
Lowell Center: https://sustainableproduction.org/
Alternatives Assessment Framework: https://www.sustainableproduction.org/downloads/FinalAltsAssess06_000.pdf
The AA Framework from the Lowell Center is an open source framework for a relatively quick but robust assessment of safer and more socially just alternatives to chemicals, materials, and products of concern. It includes assessment processes for alternatives comparison and design of new technology through specific attributes.
Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG), Compound Database
https://www.genome.jp/kegg/compound/
KEGG COMPOUND is a collection of small molecules, biopolymers, and other chemical substances that are relevant to biological systems. Each entry is identified by the C number, such as C00047 for L-lysine, and contains chemical structure, reactions, pathways, and other associated information, as well as links to other KEGG and outside databases.
Michigan Green Chemistry Clearinghouse
The Michigan Green Chemistry Clearinghouse provides educational information (resources and webinars) on green chemistry and seeks to expand green chemistry awareness. It also provides links, information, resources and databases for encouraging “green” activities and initial steps to reducing hazardous materials in the environment (i.e.. alternatives assessment toolbox).
P2 Gems
https://www.epa.gov/p2/tools/p2tools.htm
From the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), P2 is a strategy to reduce or eliminate hazards at the source, or source reduction. The website includes technical and process tools in addition to information and resources regarding green chemistry, alternatives assessments, hazardous waste, etc.
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Consumer Products Inventory
https://www.nanotechproject.org/cpi/
This inventory gives the public a look at the 1,600+ manufacturer-identified nanotechnology-based consumer products introduced to the market.
Pollution Prevention Options Assessment System (P2OAsys)
P2OASys is a spreadsheet tool that can be used to compare alternatives according to potential environmental, worker and public health impacts. Developed by TURI in Massachusetts, this free, publicly accessible tool allows users to provide qualitative and quantitative information and to calculate scores for the various alternatives under consideration.
Sustainable Hospitals Project
https://www.sustainablehospitals.org
Based at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, the program was created to provide science-based technical guidance to the healthcare industry for product selection and practices that would promote occupational and environmental health and safety. It combines pollution prevention with occupational safety and provides information how to expand this effort.
Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI)
From the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), P2 is a strategy to reduce or eliminate hazards at the source, or source reduction. The website includes technical and process tools in addition to information and resources regarding green chemistry, alternatives assessments, hazardous waste, etc.