(October 11, 2012)  A newly released installment of CalChamber News highlights continuing unanswered economic concerns over Green Chemistry regulations proposed by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).  These sweeping regulations are based on a law allowing DTSC to regulate any chemical in nearly every consumer product in California. Under the law, DTSC is supposed to perform a thorough economic analysis but, to date, it has concluded only that the costs are “unknown.” 

The piece features an interview with former DTSC director Maureen Gorsen who criticizes the process used by DTSC and says the agency has failed to do its job. Gorsen says, “There’s no science, no quantitative criteria, it’s an open-ended bureaucratic process.”

So far, the only real economic analysis has come from the CalChamber-affiliated California Foundation for Commerce and Education (CFCE), which released its study on Monday.  According to CFCE President Loren Kaye, the proposed regulations could mean a hit of 100,000 jobs and $170 billion to the California economy during a 25-year implementation period. Kaye is featured in the CalChamber News segment saying, “The bottom line is that this is just gonna be awful for the California economy.” 

If the green chemistry regulations are implemented as planned, the rules would mean higher prices for consumers and potentially outright bans on some products, says Gorsen.  

These concerns have been echoed by the business community and a group of Democrat legislators, who have asked the Governor to delay implementation until a thorough economic analysis is completed as required by law. 

Today is the deadline to submit comments to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on the proposed Green Chemistry regulations. CalChamber will be submitting detailed comments that underscore the cost these regulations will have on California jobs and the economy.