Department of Ecology
Committees, Boards, and Workgroups

The Departments of Ecology and Health will use this site to share information and draft documents as we implement Chapter 70.365 RCW (Revised Code of Washington). Our implementation program for the law is called Safer Products for Washington.

Subscribe to the SaferProductsWA email list to receive updates and invitations for public comment. Contact us at SaferProductsWA@ecy.wa.gov.

Where we are in the implementation process

In January, Ecology and Health published a draft report recommending priority consumer products for further research. We reviewed the feedback from our public comment period and made some important changes to the report, outlined in our May 2020 stakeholder update.

As soon as reviews are complete and we have implemented any necessary changes, we will submit an updated version of the report to the Legislature. 

We hosted a webinar on February 19 to outline our rationale for choosing the priority products in our draft report. To learn more, review the presentation slides and the questions and answers.

Stakeholder advisory process

The law requires us to develop a stakeholder advisory process by June 1, 2020. We have been working to engage interested parties at every major stage in our implementation process. We aim for transparency and to involve our stakeholders in decisions affecting their lives and businesses. To learn more about our progress to date, read our stakeholder engagement process.

Safer Products for Washington background

Chapter 70.365 RCW creates a process for Ecology, in consultation with Health, to regulate classes of chemicals in consumer products. The law requires us to designate priority chemicals, identify products that contain these chemicals, determine regulatory actions, and adopt rules to implement regulatory actions. Chemical restrictions require that safer alternatives are feasible and available. The law outlines steps that involve stakeholder consultation, legislative reporting, and rulemaking.

The first set of priority chemical classes were identified in the law. They are:

• Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances 
• Phthalates
• Organohalogen flame retardants and flame retardants identified in RCW 70.240.010 
• Phenolic compounds
• Polychlorinated biphenyls

The first five deadlines in the law are: