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examined in detail, “including direct and indirect impacts, cumulative effects,
effects on historic and cultural resources, impacts of alternatives, and options to
mitigate potential impacts” (Tickner and Geiser 2004). The NEPA environ-
mental impact statement approach, supplemented by new approaches to health
impact assessment, provides a way of integrating scientific information from
multiple sources into decisions that focus on evaluating prevention options.
BOX 4-4 Example of a Solutions-Oriented Approach:
Reducing Trichloroethylene Use in Massachusetts
The solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) has been targeted for substantial re-
ductions in exposure by EPA and numerous states because of its toxicity,
particularly its potential carcinogenicity. It is commonly found at Superfund
sites and is of particular concern because it can leach into and contaminate
groundwater and drinking water supplies. TCE is mainly used to degrease
metal parts and it can cause harmful occupational exposures if it is acciden-
tally spilled. Applying traditional end-of-pipe control approaches have, in
many cases, resulted in the TCE problem being shifted from air to water to
land rather than the problem being eliminated. Reducing human exposures to
TCE cannot be solved using a simple solution; a systems-based and solu-
tions-oriented approach must be used.
Under the 1989 Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act, chemical
manufacturers that produce large quantities of toxic chemicals, which include
TCE, are required to pay a fee and to conduct a form of systems analysis.
The analysis includes a materials throughput analysis every year and a facility
planning process analysis every 2 years to understand how and why chemi-
cals are being used and to assess potential process and product modifica-
tions that would reduce toxic material use and waste. The fee provides fund-
ing for the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of
Massachusetts, Lowell. Most cleaning tasks that use TCE can be performed
with alternative organic solvents or with water-based cleaners. In general,
water-based cleaners are preferred because they are usually safer for human
health and the environment. TURI has been working with manufacturers of
metal parts and manufacturers of electronics to help them move from TCE to
safer and more cost-effective cleaning solutions. TURI determined that one of
the barriers in the adoption of safer alternatives is the concern that productiv-
ity and product specifications might suffer if standard metal cleaning proce-
dures are altered. To address this concern, TURI created the Surface Solu-
tions Laboratory to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCE alternatives
for small-sized and medium-sized companies. By focusing on the “function”
that TCE provides, requiring a systems evaluation, and providing support for
solutions, industrial TCE use in Massachusetts declined by more than 77%
from 1990 to 2005, with greater than 90% reductions in some sectors.
Source: Adapted from Sarewitz et al. 2010 and TURI 2011.
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