A Massachusetts Initiative to Eliminate Toxic Solvents from the Workplace
University of Massachusetts BostonWheatley Building, Room 60
Boston, MA
Boston Social Forum, Slot: Events IV (Saturday 8:30-10:00)
Title: A Massachusetts Initiative to Eliminate Toxic Solvents from the Workplace
A Massachusetts Initiative to Eliminate Toxic Solvents from the Workplace: Creating a Healthy Environment While Keeping Workers and Communities Safe. Ken Geiser and Carole Le Blanc will focus on the results of the laboratory services offered under the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) over a five-year period. Topics covered include: (1) introduction to the principles of toxics use reduction (TUR), an innovative approach to pollution prevention for the elimination of hazardous substances such as ozone depleting and global warming chemicals, in the pursuit of Green Chemistry. (2) Overview of the TUR voluntary laboratory testing program for solvent substitution located at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. (3) Program assessment by participating companies, leading to an overall company profile and significant decreases in the consumption of organo/chlorinated solvents used for degreasing and cleaning operations in the state. (4) And implications for present and future chemical work and public health/safety on a national level.