At the Crossroads for Global Chemical Safety

Next week, negotiators from over 150 countries and other stakeholders will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the future of global chemicals management.  These critical negotiations come at decisive juncture for the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM), with only eight years left on its ambitious mandate to ensure sound chemicals management—eight years in which … Read More.

US Senate Committee Sends a Global Message on Eliminating Toxic Chemicals

For the first time in 36 years, the U.S. Congress took a significant step towards fixing the ineffective law that primarily governs the use of toxic chemicals in America’s workplaces, homes, schools, and almost every other facet of our everyday lives.  This is a monumental step, not just for the U.S., but for public health … Read More.

Global negotiation on chemicals offer hope for developing countries…and the world

Hundreds of government delegates will join representatives of intergovernmental organizations, health and environmental advocates, as well as business groups in Belgrade, Serbia November 15-18 to improve the management of toxic chemicals. The Belgrade meeting, known as an Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), sets the stage for the Third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3) in September … Read More.

2011 Senate TSCA bill would enable U.S. leadership on global POPs treaty

Proposed federal legislation to revamp the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could pave the way for the United States to join three important international treaties, according to a new CIEL publication.   “U.S. Law and the Stockholm POPs Convention:  Analysis of treaty-implementing provisions in pending legislation,” reviews the Safe Chemicals Act (S. 847), a bill … Read More.

The Global POPs Treaty at Ten

By the CIEL Chemicals Team Over the past ten years, CIEL has helped to shape the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). From April 25-29, 2011, our Chemicals Team is in Geneva for the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5). The Stockholm Convention, a global accord ratified by over 170 countries, … Read More.

A Bipartisan Crossroads on Global Toxics?

By Daryl Ditz, Chemicals Program Last month, the feisty lame duck Congress heeded a bipartisan chorus of advice, from Henry Kissinger to Hillary Clinton, in voting to ratify a new nuclear weapons treaty to reduce the risks of dangerous materials falling into the wrong hands. Could the new Congress find bipartisan agreement to ratify a … Read More.