Green Science Policy Institute
Green Science Policy Institute
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About this organization
Mission
Our mission is to facilitate safer use of chemicals to protect human and ecological health. We educate and build partnerships among government, business, academia, and public interest groups to develop innovative solutions for reducing harmful chemicals in products.
About
The Six Classes is our overarching program. This is an innovative strategy to educate decision makers to reduce the use of the most harmful classes or families of chemicals in consumer products and move to safer alternatives. By focusing on entire classes or families 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 for more information. The Six Classes of chemicals of concern are: flame retardants highly fluorinated chemicals PFAS antimicrobials bisphenols & phthalates organic solvents and certain metals. Six Classes Accomplishments in 2019: 1) IN APRIL 2019, We held our annual toxic Reduction Retreat WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND THE NGO COMMUNITY. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THREE LARGE RETAILERS AND THE TWO LARGEST CARPET MANUFACTURERS ATTENDED. ALL ARE COMMITTED TO STOPPING THE USE OF THE CLASS OF PFAS IN THE PRODUCTS THEY PURCHASE AND SELL AND TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING PFAS AND OTHER HARMFUL CHEMICAL CLASSES. 2) DISTRIBUTION OF THE SIX CLASSES VIDEO SERIES: WE DISTRIBUTED THE VIDEOS TO THE BUYERS CLUB MEMBERS, MANUFACTURERS, AND SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS IN HOSPITALS, GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THE VIDEOS INFORM THESE DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT THE SIX CLASSES OF CHEMICALS USED IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND BUILDING MATERIALS AND EQUIP THEM TO LIMIT THEIR USE. 3) WE HOSTED A BOOK PARTY FOR ROB BILOTT'S NEW BOOK "EXPOSURE: POISONED WATER, CORPORATE GREED, AND ONE LAWYER'S TWENTY-YEAR BATTLE AGAINST DUPONT". WE ARE WORKING WITH THE SOCIAL ACTION TEAM FOR THE FILM STARING MARK RUFFALO AND ANNE HATHAWAY AS ROB AND HIS WIFE. ROB IS A KEY PARTNER IN OUR WORK TO REDUCE THE WHOLE CLASS OF PFAS, ONE OF THE MOST HARMFUL AND PERSISTENCE CHEMICAL CLASSES. Reducing the Class of Highly Fluorinated Chemicals PFAS: IN 2019, A MAIN FOCUS OF OUR WORK WAS EDUCATING STAKEHOLDERS AND REDUCING THE USE OF THE CLASS OF HIGHLY FLUORINATED CHEMICALS (PFAS) IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS, DRINKING WATER AND BUILDING MATERIALS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: STOPPING THE USE OF PFAS IN CARPETS AND RUGS: MULTI-STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP WITH THE CARPET INDUSTRY: IN FEBRUARY 2019, WE CONVENED A DAY-LONG WORKSHOP TO EDUCATE HIGH LEVEL REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CARPETING INDUSTRY ABOUT THE HARM OF PFAS AND TO ENCOURAGE THE ELIMINATION OF PFAS STAIN AND SOIL REPELLENTS. THIS WAS A FOLLOW-UP TO OUR 2018 WORKSHOP. AT THE MEETING, ONE OF THE THREE LARGEST MANUFACTURERS ANNOUNCED IT HAS COMPLETELY PHASED OUT PFAS. THE TWO OTHER LARGEST MANUFACTURERS REPORTED THEIR PLANS TO COMPLETE PFAS PHASEOUTS IN 2019. COMPANIES REPORTED THAT OUR MEETINGS PROVIDE A NEUTRAL FORUM FOR PRE-COMPETITIVE COLLABORATION AND THAT THEY ARE EAGER FOR OUR INSTITUTE TO STAY INVOLVED WITH THEIR INDUSTRY. AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK, MAJOR U.S. CARPET MANUFACTURERS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM THE USE OF THE WHOLE CLASS OF PFAS?AN ENORMOUS CHANGE COMPARED TO TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE BEGAN OUR WORK. MARKET SURVEY OF PFAS IN RESIDENTIAL CARPET: WE PURCHASED THREE HUNDRED CARPET SAMPLES FROM HOME DEPOT AND LOWE?S AND FOUND THAT 55% LIKELY CONTAINED PFAS. WE SHARED THE RESULTS OF OUR STUDY WITH OTHER NGOS WHO USED IT TO SUCCESSFULLY PRESSURE THE RETAILERS TO STOP SELLING PFAS-TREATED CARPETS. RESEARCHING PFAS EXPOSURE IN CHILDCARE CENTERS AND PRESCHOOLS: WE ARE RESEARCHING THE CONTRIBUTION OF CARPETS AND RUGS TO PFAS EXPOSURE AT NURSERY SCHOOLS. WE COLLECTED CARPET, DUST, AND AIR SAMPLES FROM 18 LOCAL SCHOOLS AND HAD THEM TESTED FOR PFAS. WE SUBMITTED A PAPER ON THE CARPET AND DUST MEASUREMENTS FOR PUBLICATION IN A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL AND PLAN TO WRITE A SECOND PAPER ON PFAS IN NURSERY SCHOOL AIR. REDUCING THE USE OF PFAS IN FOOD PACKAGING: FOOD-CONTACT PAPER PACKAGING STUDY: WE ARE STUDYING PFAS IN PACKAGED FOOD ITEMS FROM SUPERMARKETS, A LITTLE-KNOWN POSSIBLE SOURCE OF EXPOSURE TO PFAS. WORKING WITH ACADEMIC COLLABORATORS, WE SCREENED MORE THAN 300 FOOD PACKAGING SAMPLES FROM 6 MAJOR U.S. GROCERY CHAINS. WE IDENTIFIED PFAS IN SEVERAL TYPES OF PACKAGING WHERE IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED PREVIOUSLY AND ARE USING OTHER ANALYTIC TECHNIQUES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHICH TYPES OF PFAS ARE BEING USED. WE WILL SUBMIT A PAPER FOR PUBLICATION WITH OUR FINDINGS. MULTI-STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP WITH THE GROCERY INDUSTRY: WE ARE PLANNING A DAY-LONG WORKSHOP WITH THE GROCERY INDUSTRY FOR FEBRUARY 2020, WHEN WE WILL DISCUSS THE USE OF PFAS IN GROCERY PACKAGING AND OUR RESEARCH FINDINGS. WE WILL EDUCATE GROCERY RETAILERS ABOUT THE PFAS IN THEIR PRODUCTS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ASK FOR PFAS-FREE PACKAGING FROM GROCERY MANUFACTURERS AND PACKAGING SUPPLIERS. HOLDING POLLUTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR PFAS CLEANUP: PETITION TO EPA ON DESIGNATING AS PFAS HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES: 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. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UC BERKELEY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CLINIC AND ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING IMPACTED COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE DRAFTED A PETITION (TO SUBMIT IN JAN. 2020) ASKING THE EPA TO DECLARE PFAS HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES UNDER SUPERFUND. IF GRANTED, THIS PETITION WOULD ALLOW EPA TO SUE POLLUTERS TO RECOVER REMEDIATION COSTS, THUS CLEARING THE WAY FOR QUICKER CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED SITES. ATTORNEY ROB BILOTT, WHO HAS WORKED FOR TWO DECADES TO OBTAIN JUSTICE FOR PFAS-CONTAMINATED COMMUNITIES, HAS SAID THAT A SUPERFUND DECLARATION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT POLICY PRIORITY FOR PFAS. ADDRESSING DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATION BY PFAS: EDUCATING GOVERNMENT DECISION MAKERS: WE WORK WITH HOUSE AND SENATE STAFFERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TO ENCOURAGE SCIENCE-BASED POLICIES FOR ADDRESSING PFAS POLLUTION AND PREVENTING FURTHER CONTAMINATION. IN JUNE 2019, JOINED BY ROB BILOTT AND LEADING PFAS RESEARCHER DETLEF KNAPPE, WE HELD BRIEFINGS AND MEETINGS WITH STAFF FROM NEARLY 80 LEGISLATIVE OFFICES AND COMMITTEES. WE EDUCATED THEM ABOUT SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION, HEALTH EFFECTS, AND THE NEED FOR POLICY THAT ADDRESSES THE ENTIRE CLASS OF PFAS. WE CONTINUE HOLDING MONTHLY WEBINARS TO EDUCATE HILL STAFF ON PFAS BASICS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS. HILL STAFF ASK FOR OUR INPUT ON THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF THEIR PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON PFAS. THIS WORK HAS HELPED TO ELEVATE THE PROFILE OF PFAS IN CONGRESS. OUR EFFORTS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO BIPARTISAN POLICIES TO ADDRESS PFAS CONTAMINATION, INCLUDING PROVISIONS IN THIS YEAR?S DEFENSE BILL THAT WILL STOP THE MILITARY USE OF PFAS-CONTAINING FIREFIGHTING FOAM AND FUND NATIONWIDE DRINKING WATER MONITORING BY EPA AND USGS. THESE POLICY CHANGES WILL LEAD TO HEALTHIER DRINKING WATER AND LESS FUTURE CONTAMINATION. SHARING INFORMATION ON PFAS: PFAS CENTRAL WEBSITE: WE LAUNCHED PFASCENTRAL.ORG, A CURATED SOURCE FOR THE LATEST NEWS, SCIENCE, AND POLICY ABOUT PFAS. OUR INSTITUTE IS A HUB FOR BREAKING INFORMATION ON PFAS, AND PFASCENTRAL ALLOWS US TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH SCIENTISTS, REPORTERS, BUSINESSES, POLICY MAKERS AND CONSUMERS. THE SITE IS ALSO HOME TO OUR LIST OF PFAS-FREE CONSUMER PRODUCTS, WHICH WAS FEATURED AS PART OF THE SOCIAL ACTION CAMPAIGN FOR THE MOVIE DARK WATERS. THIS WEBSITE HAS ENGAGED OVER 13,000 USERS SINCE JUNE 1, 2019 AND VIEWERSHIP CONTINUES TO RISE STEADILY EVERY MONTH. SAFER INSULATION WITHOUT FLAME RETARDANTS: IN 2019, OUR SAFER INSULATION WORK HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE. IN JANUARY, AFTER MANY YEARS OF OUR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND POLICY WORK, THE CALIFORNIA STATE BUILDING COMMISSION RULED TO ALLOW INSULATION BELOW GRADE TO BE FLAME RETARDANT-FREE, A POSITIVE STEP TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF FLAME RETARDANT-FREE INSULATION. THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE THE CULMINATION OF OUR DECADE OF RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR FIRE SAFE INSULATION WITHOUT UNNECESSARY FLAME RETARDANTS. INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS WORK: WE ARE WORKING TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY INTERNATIONAL FLAMMABILITY STANDARDS THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE USE OF TOXIC 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 2019, OUR CONSULTANTS CONTINUED TO INFLUENCE KEY COMMITTEES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS COMMITTEE AND WERE ABLE TO PREVENT A HALF DOZEN PROBLEMATIC INITIATIVES PROPOSED BY THE FLAME RETARDANT INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES. IN 2019, THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS BODIES IN WHICH WE PARTICIPATED DID NOT PASS NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR FLAME RETARDANTS.
Interesting data from their 2020 990 filing
The mission of the non-profit, as stated in the filing, is “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”.
When referring to its tasks, they were described as: “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 non-profit is operating legally in the state of CA.
- The non-profit's address for the year 2020 is listed as PO Box 9127, Berkeley, CA, 94709 in the filing.
- The form submitted by the non-profit organization for 2020 reports 11 employees.
- Does not operate a hospital.
- Does not operate a school.
- Does not collect art.
- Does not provide credit counseling.
- Does not have foreign activities.
- Is not a donor-advised fund.
- Is not a private foundation.
- Expenses are between $500,000 and $1,000,000+.
- Revenue is greater than $1,000,000.
- Revenue less expenses is $366,809.
- The CEO compensation package within the organization is established through a review and approval process by an independent body.
- The organization has a written policy that describes how long it will retain documents.
- The organization has 7 independent voting members.
- The organization was formed in 2006.
- The organization has a written policy that addresses conflicts of interest.
- The organization is required to file Schedule B.
- The organization is required to file Schedule J.
- The organization is required to file Schedule O.
- The organization pays $643,014 in salary, compensation, and benefits to its employees.
- The organization pays $71,956 in fundraising expenses.
- The organization provides Form 990 to its governing body.
- The organization has minutes of its meetings.
- The organization has a written whistleblower policy.
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