Royal Commission warns of 'unacceptable' risks from chemicals

Phasing out PVC

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution warned today that man-made chemicals posed 'unacceptable' risks to human health and wildlife and called for a 'fundamental reform' of government policy on chemicals. Greenpeace welcomed in particular the Commission's call for the central goal of government policy on chemicals to be the 'systematic substitution of hazardous substances with those of a lower hazard'. The report also advised financial penalties for companies that persisted in using dangerous chemicals where less harmful alternatives already exist.

Greenpeace toxics campaigner Oliver Knowles said, "Ensuring that chemical companies are actually forced to substitute hazardous chemicals for safer alternatives must the core of any chemicals policy. The chemical industry has failed to ensure that the chemicals it produces for use in everyday products in our homes are clean and safe. Now the government must take action and ensure the mandatory substitution of harmful chemicals with safer alternatives."

The European Commission is currently running a public consultation on new chemicals legislation called REACH (1). The proposals, designed to clean up chemical production and use, and ensure products are safer for the environment and human health, have been fiercely attacked by the European chemicals industry. Greenpeace has submitted a detailed report to the European Commission as part of this public consultation. Read it here

Further information:

(1) REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Assessment of Chemicals.

For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255 or Toxics Campaigner Oliver Knowles on 020 7865 8298.