GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE
PO Box 9127, Berkeley, CA 94709 www.greensciencepolicy.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Our mission is to facilitate responsible use of chemicals to protect human and ecological health. We educate and build partnerships among scientists, regulators, businesses, and public interest groups to develop innovative solutions for reducing harmful chemicals in products. To achieve this, we: *Provide unbiased scientific data for informed decision-making. *Motivate and participate in scientific research that serves the public interest. *Act as a watchdog for regulations that could lead to increased use of toxics. *Promote policy and purchasing decisions to reduce the use of classes of harmful chemicals

We work at the interface between science and policy to reduce use of harmful chemicals in consumer products and building materials to protect human health and the environment. We motivate and participate in scientific research work with scientists to share their research results with government, standards bodies, and other decision makers and convene diverse high-level stakeholders to effect change in the public interest. Additionally, we educate designers, retailers, manufacturers, and institutional purchasers to empower them to reduce the use of entire classes of chemicals of concern in the products they produce, sell, or buy. Our approach has proven successful at the local, national, and international level for reducing the use of harmful chemicals.

The Six Classes is our overarching program. THE SIX CLASSES APPROACH IS AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY TO EDUCATE DECISION MAKERS TO REDUCE THE USE OF THE MOST HARMFUL CLASSES OF CHEMICALS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND MOVE TO SAFER ALTERNATIVES. BY FOCUSING ON ENTIRE CLASSES OF CHEMICALS, THE COMMON PROBLEM OF REGRETTABLE SUBSTITUTION CAN BE PREVENTED. ALL TOO OFTEN WHEN A TOXIC CHEMICAL IS PHASED OUT AFTER YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, THE SUBSTITUTE IS A CHEMICAL COUSIN, WITH SIMILAR PROPERTIES AND SIMILAR TOXICITY. SEE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS BELOW AND VISIT WWW.GREENSCIENCEPOLICY.ORG, WWW.PFASCENTRAL.ORG, AND WWW.SIXCLASSES.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. THE SIX CLASSES OF CHEMICALS OF CONCERN ARE: FLAME RETARDANTS; PFAS; ANTIMICROBIALS; BISPHENOLS & PHTHALATES; ORGANIC SOLVENTS; AND CERTAIN METALS. Six Classes Accomplishments in 2020: 1) WE HELD OUR FIRST SIX CLASSES VIRTUAL RETREAT WHICH WAS A BIG SUCCESS. 50 PARTICIPANTS AND DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS FOCUSED ON THE TOPICS OF MANAGING PFAS AS A CLASS; OVERUSE OF ANTIMICROBIALS DURING COVID-19; AND THE OVERLAPS BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE, PLASTIC POLLUTION, AND TOXICS. WE DEVELOPED HIGH-IMPACT NEW IDEAS AND WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE TAKING ACTION. 2) WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS, WE PUBLISHED AN INNOVATIVE PEER-REVIEWED PAPER ON REDUCING HARM FROM PFAS CHEMICALS. THIS PAPER IS THE MOST READ ARTICLE IN ES&T LETTERS, WITH MORE THAN 28,000 DOWNLOADS. IT MAKES THE CASE THAT THE EXTREME PERSISTENCE AND POTENTIAL TOXICITY OF PFAS RENDER TRADITIONAL ONE-CHEMICAL-AT-A-TIME MANAGEMENT INADEQUATE AND EVEN DANGEROUS AND ARGUES FOR THE CLASS-BASED APPROACH. 3) WE PROMOTED THE SIX CLASSES APPROACH THROUGH LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, PAPERS, AND MONTHLY CALLS WITH SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A KEYNOTE TO AN INTERNATIONAL PFAS CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND A TALK AT THE ANNUAL GLOBAL HEALTH & INNOVATION CONFERENCE AT YALE, BOTH OF WHICH REACHED MANY HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS. WE SPOKE AT MANY SCREENINGS OF THE FILM DARK WATERS, GAVE INTERVIEWS TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, ETC., AND EDUCATED THE PRODUCERS OF LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER. WE HOSTED OUR ANNUAL FLAME RETARDANT & PFAS DILEMMA PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM AND LED AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP ON PFAS THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER LEADERS FROM GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, LAW, AND ACADEMIA TO INSPIRE SCIENTISTS TO USE THEIR RESEARCH FOR POLICY CHANGE. 4) THE CLASS CONCEPT IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO REGULATION WORLDWIDE. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS CONCEPT CONTRIBUTED TO THE EU'S INNOVATIVE NEW CHEMICALS STRATEGY WHICH AIMS TO PHASE OUT ALL NON-ESSENTIAL USES OF ALL PFAS. ALSO, STATE AND LOCAL LEGISLATION IN THE U.S. IS BANNING THE ENTIRE CLASS OF PFAS IN FOOD PACKAGING AND FIREFIGHTING FOAMIMPORTANT INITIATIVES FOR WHICH WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING. THE CLASS CONCEPT IS ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT BIG IDEAS AND WE TAKE PRIDE THAT IT IS BEING WIDELY USED BY GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TO REDUCE THE USE OF PFAS AND OTHER HARMFUL CHEMICALS. REDUCING PFAS: IN 2020, A MAIN FOCUS OF OUR WORK WAS EDUCATING STAKEHOLDERS AND REDUCING THE USE OF THE CLASS OF PFAS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS, DRINKING WATER AND BUILDING MATERIALS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: STOPPING THE USE OF PFAS IN CARPETS AND RUGS: WE CONTINUED OUR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE USE OF PFAS IN CARPETS AND RUGS. WE PUBLISHED A PEER-REVIEWED PAPER ABOUT OUR STUDY OF PFAS IN CARPETS, RUGS, AND DUST IN BAY AREA NURSERY SCHOOLS. WE USED THE COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN AROUND THE PAPERS RELEASE TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS THAT PFAS-FREE CARPETS ARE NOW READILY AVAILABLE. WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATING ON A SECOND PAPER ON PFAS IN NURSERY SCHOOL AIR. TOGETHER WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CARPET INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIC SCIENTISTS, WE PUBLISHED ANOTHER PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE ON THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CARPETS AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY. FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, REPRESENTATIVES FROM MAJOR CARPET MANUFACTURERS ATTENDED OUR THREE-DAY LONG SIX CLASSES RETREAT TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING PFAS. REDUCING THE USE OF PFAS IN FOOD PACKAGING: WE WORKED ON MULTIPLE FRONTS TO PUSH FOR REDUCED USE OF PFAS IN FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS. IN FEBRUARY 2020 WE CONVENED A ONE-DAY WORKSHOP TO EDUCATE GROCERY RETAILERS AND PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS ABOUT THE NEED TO REDUCE PFAS IN GROCERY STORE PACKAGING. WE ARE FACILITATING FOLLOW-UP CALLS TO SHARE BUSINESS, SCIENTIFIC, AND POLICY UPDATES. LARGE GROCERY RETAILERS ATTENDED OUR 2020 SIX CLASSES RETREAT, AND ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR ONGOING RETAILER/MANUFACTURER WORKING GROUP FOCUSED ON REDUCING PFAS IN PRODUCTS. WE CONTINUE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON PFAS IN GROCERY FOOD PACKAGING. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED PFAS IN TYPES OF PACKAGING WHERE IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED PREVIOUSLY, INCLUDING PLASTIC PACKAGING AND PAPERBOARD CONTAINERS FOR GROCERY SHELF ITEMS. WE WILL SUBMIT A JOURNAL ARTICLE ON THIS RESEARCH. HOLDING POLLUTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR PFAS CLEANUP: DESPITE AMPLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT PFAS CONTAMINATION IS HARMFUL TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY ARE NOT REGULATED UNDER THE U.S. SUPERFUND LAW THAT DRIVES CLEANUP OF HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES. ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE UC BERKELEY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CLINIC AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, WE PETITIONED THE U.S. EPA TO LIST HUNDREDS OF PFAS AS HAZARDOUS WASTES. EDUCATING GOVERNMENT DECISION MAKERS ABOUT PFAS: AT THE REQUEST OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE U.S. HOUSE PFAS TASK FORCE, WE HELD REGULAR WEBINARS TO EDUCATE HOUSE AND SENATE STAFFERS ABOUT PFAS. OUR WEBINARS INCLUDED PFAS SCIENCE BASICS, POLICY UPDATES, AND LEGISLATIVE IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING CURRENT PFAS POLLUTION AND PREVENTING FURTHER CONTAMINATION. IN JUNE WE HELD A SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH REP. DAN KILDEE (MI-05), SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (CT), DR. LINDA BIRNBAUM, AND OTHERS TO PUBLICIZE THE RELEASE OF OUR PEER-REVIEWED PAPER ON MANAGING PFAS AS A CLASS. MORE THAN 100 JOURNALISTS AND OTHERS ATTENDED. IN JULY, WE JOINED REP. MADELEINE DEAN (PA-04), FOR A FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT. HOUSE AND SENATE STAFF CONTINUE TO ASK FOR OUR INPUT ON THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF AND WORDING FOR PROPOSED LEGISLATION. FLAME RETARDANTS IN FURNITURE: OUR LONG-TERM WORK TO STOP THE USE OF TOXIC FLAME RETARDANTS IN FURNITURE, IS NOW BECOMING THE LAW OF THE LAND. THE RECENT 5593 OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL HAS AN ITEM THAT STATES THAT THE CALIFORNIA FURNITURE STANDARD (WHICH HAS STOPPED THE USE OF FLAME RETARDANTS IN OUR FURNITURE AND CHILDRENS PRODUCTS), WOULD BECOME OUR NATIONAL FURNITURE FLAMMABILITY REGULATION. THIS SHOULD HELP STOP THE FLAME RETARDANT PRODUCERS CONTINUING EFFORTS FOR NEW FLAMMABILITY STANDARDS THAT WOULD BRING MORE OF THEIR TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO OUR HOMES. INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS WORK: WE ARE WORKING TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY INTERNATIONAL FLAMMABILITY STANDARDS THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE USE OF FLAME RETARDANTS WITHOUT PROVIDING A FIRE SAFETY BENEFIT. OUR EDUCATIONAL WORK HELPED PREVENT NUMEROUS PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO THE UNNECESSARY USE OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF FLAME RETARDANTS IN ELECTRONICS ENCLOSURES. WE HAVE BUILT A TEAM OF EXPERT CONSULTANTS TO MONITOR FLAMMABILITY COMMITTEES WHERE FLAME RETARDANT MANUFACTURERS ARE ACTIVE AND WATCH FOR ANY PROPOSALS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE INCREASED USE OF THESE HARMFUL CHEMICALS. IN 2020, OUR CONSULTANTS CONTINUED TO INFLUENCE KEY COMMITTEES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS COMMITTEE AND THE STANDARDS BODIES IN WHICH WE PARTICIPATED DID NOT PASS NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR FLAME RETARDANTS. ANTIMICROBIAL USE DURING THE PANDEMIC: SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, THE UNNEEDED USE OF HARMFUL ANTIMICROBIALS HAS INCREASED. AT THE REQUEST OF LARGE RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS, WE PRODUCED AN INFORMATIVE FACT SHEET TO REDUCE ANTIMICROBIALS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

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