CIEL joins launch of the NGO "SIN List 1.0" in Brussels

CIEL participated in the public release of the "Substitute It Now" list: SIN List 1.0, developed by the Swedish NGO International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec). The SIN List identifies 267 industrial chemicals that meet the strict criteria for authorization under REACH, the European Union's chemical law. These substances warrant prompt action to reduce risks to public health. The SIN List was unveiled together with a new ChemSec report, Substitution 1.0: The Art of Delivering Toxic-free Products," at a Brussels conference on September 17, 2008.

CIEL Senior Policy Advisor Daryl Ditz opened the Brussels conference with a presentation on the rising global pressures on chemical users, making the case for a robust, publicly available list of chemicals that meet the REACH criteria of very high concern. "The SIN List provides an early warning for alert companies, and a wakeup call for state and federal lawmakers in the United States," said Ditz.

Business leaders from the electronics, construction, retail, water and sectors welcomed the SIN List as a tool for prioritizing chemicals for attention across diverse supply chains and sectors. These chemicals are officially recognized as potential contributors to cancer, birth defects, and other health and ecological impacts. In developing the SIN List 1.0, ChemSec employed a team of toxicologists to screen 4,000 chemicals to identify an additional 30 chemicals that pose "equivalent concern."

The SIN List includes several phthalates and brominated flame retardants that are the subject of legislation and debate in the United States. SIN List chemicals are widely used in cosmetics, children's products, and countless consumer goods. Many of these chemicals are present in human blood and breast milk.

Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, an international investment advisor, incorporated the SIN List in their analysis of financial risks and opportunities from authorization under REACH. Innovest Senior Analyst Noran Eid describes the report as "important intelligence for investors seeking early insights into competitive advantage resulting from REACH." Eleven of 73 global chemical producers reviewed face potential cost increases above 2 percent, if the SIN List 1.0 chemicals are subject to authorization, depending on the availability and costs of substitutes. The report also identified several companies that are positioned to benefit from the demand for safer substitutes.

An independent analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund based on publicly available data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirms that at least 173 companies manufacture or import SIN List chemicals in the United States. The EDF report, Across the Pond: Assessing the First Big Impact of REACH on U.S. Chemicals and Companies, identifies 85 SIN List chemicals produced in the United States in quantities of more than one million pounds per year, and 14 chemicals -- including bisphenol A, 1,3-butadiene, and vinyl chloride -- that are produced at more than 1 billion pounds annually.

For more information, please contact Daryl Ditz.