New public policy proposal for the management of industrial toxic substances in São Paulo State, Brazil

• Published in: Natural resources forum Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 165 - 174
• Main Authors: De Miranda Ribeiro, Flávio, Kuno, Rúbia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-05-2010; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Brazil; Chemicals; Environmental impact; Environmental policies; Environmental policy; Environmental regulations; Exact sciences and technology; Global environmental pollution; Hazardous materials; Industrial policy; Industrial waste; Pollution; Regulatory policy; Risk management; Sustainability; Toxic chemical management; U.S.A; Waste management; South America; Brazil; America; Sao Paulo Brazil; USA; Brazil, Sao Paulo; Industrial product; Environmental policy; Pollution control; Sustainability; Toxic chemical management; Poison; Pollution abatement; Risk management; Chemical product; Environmental protection; Environmental policies
• ISSN: 0165-0203; 1477-8947
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2010.01301.x

In order to find out an alternative to traditional environmental policies in the State of São Paulo (Brazil), which have been mainly focused on legal standard compliance for air and water emissions, as well as in soil contamination, the Environmental Agency of São Paulo State — CETESB — launched a research project entitled Industrial Toxic Substances Use Reduction Programme. The project was launched in 2006 with funding from the United States Trade and Development Agency. Its aim was to propose new policies and strategies to reduce industrial releases of toxic compounds to the environment. Its general steps were the identification of an initial toxic chemical targets list; a review of successful programmes in the United States; the development of key elements and the establishment of alternative combinations of those elements for the implementation of an indigenous programme. Since project completion, CETESB has been discussing the possibility of implementing the results through a pilot project being developed jointly with industry representatives. This pilot project will serve as a model for a broader industrial toxic substances reduction programme to be implemented in São Paulo State.