Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott has issued Executive Order 13-17, forming the Vermont Interagency Committee on Chemical Management. The Committee is charged with reviewing State chemical regulation and policies to ensure compliance and further reduce risks posed by the use or storage of unsafe chemicals. The Committee will incorporate the expertise of State agencies and outside experts who will participate in the citizen advisory panel.
The Committee will be responsible for better coordinating chemical management in the state, and will recommend any necessary actions to address these risks. It is also tasked with developing a streamlined electronic reporting system to facilitate businesses compliance with reporting requirements, and with improving state agency, business, and public access to information about chemicals in the state.
“The discovery of PFOA contamination of the drinking water in Bennington County was a wakeup call for Vermont,” said Gov. Scott. “I am directing this Committee to find solutions that will ensure proactive coordination among the agencies charged with chemical oversight to protect Vermonters from unsafe chemicals, increase public access to information about chemicals in our communities, and help Vermont businesses comply with existing law.”
The Committee, which will be chaired by the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources or her designee, will hold its first meeting in September. The other agencies that will form the Committee are:
• Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
• Agency of Commerce and Community Development
• Department of Health
• Department of Labor
• Department of Public Safety
• Agency of Digital Services
The Committee will consult with a citizen advisory panel comprised of public health and chemical policy experts, industry representatives – including a small business representative – and individuals with toxicology, risk assessment, environmental law and data management expertise.
A copy of the executive order can be found here.