12/18/2007
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Staff photo by Jim EvansStaff Writer
More than a dozen Maine environmental and business officials said Monday they will continue to work with the federal government to promote the purchase and use of nontoxic chemicals.
The Task Force to Promote Safer Chemicals presented to Gov. John Baldacci the culmination of an intense 16-month study identifying chemicals that should be phased out of Maine households and businesses.
"What we have here is, I think, a pretty good start," Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner David Littell said of the final report, which prepares officials to take the next step: integrating alternative products into Maine businesses and homes.
Among task force findings was a lack of federal regulation to ensure consumers have access to environmentally safe products. The report also states that health costs have spiked in part to exposure to chemicals such as lead and pesticides.
The volume of chemical usage speaks for itself, Littell said.
In Maine alone, 2,000 pounds of lead are believed to be distributed annually throughout Maine's environment, the report said.
For example, the report said vehicles in the Maine Department of Transportation fleet have been outfitted with steel wheel balances for almost 70 years. "That's a lot of lead to be in our environment," Littell said.
Likewise, the use of pesticides have tripled in Maine in the past 15 years, according to the report.
Currently, there are more than 8,900 pesticidal products that can be legally applied in Maine. The Northern New England Poison Center confirmed 431 cases of exposure to pesticides in Maine in 2005.
"There's been a significant increase in the use of pesticides and phosphorous," Littell said after the conference. "It's rather alarming."
Task force officials praised many state-based companies.
Tom's of Maine, which sells natural hygiene products, has been working to stay environmentally-friendly for decades, director of product supply Mark Dobrovolny said.
"It's a new era of environmental sustainability," Dobrovolny said of the progress companies are trying to make by cutting back on using dangerous chemicals.
Different Drummer Workshop, a Solon-based toy shop, also was cited as a positive example for its work creating wooden toys from Maine pine trees.
"We don't put any kind of finish on our toys," owner Frank Ridley said.
"It wasn't until this year that people were looking for things made out of natural products, but I've been doing this for 35 years."
Ridley said he does not consider his business leading the way to making Maine a less-toxic state. "I do this because I enjoy doing it," he said.
The task force was established in February 2006 after Baldacci signed an executive order to study the usage of alternative chemicals.
Funding came from the state Department of Environmental Protection's budget, said Ginger Jordan-Hillier, a public service coordinator for the department.
"Gone are the days that protecting our people and environment run counter to business interests," Baldacci said as he received the report Monday.
Baldacci announced at the conference Monday he will submit a bill in the coming legislative session to address suggestions from the task force.
In the meantime, Baldacci said the administration has launched a "Green Seal" program in which environmentally friendly cleaning supplies are purchased and used in several state-owned buildings.
Efforts are also under way to determine the viability of developing an in-state facility to extract potato starch and convert it to make the same plastic-type material, Baldacci said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811 Ext. 431
mmalloy@centralmaine.com
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