Editorial

Per Rosander, ChemSec

Welcome to the first edition of the SIN Reporter. Since its introduction last September in Brussels, the SIN (Substitute It Now!) List has been "rocking the boat" - stimulating not just constructive discussion, but also constructive action.

Guest Writer

Daryl Ditz, CIEL

When ChemSec asked me to join the Advisory Committee for the SIN List Project, I was initially drawn to the objective of kick-starting REACH implementation by identifying chemicals that meet the criteria for "substance of very high concern" (SVHCs). As the work progressed, it was clear that even an unofficial list of priority chemicals could be valuable to companies that make routine decisions about which chemicals to use in their processes and products - even companies that operate and sell outside of the European Union.

This past January, the San Francisco Department of the Environment , together with the University of California, Berkeley Center for Occupational and Environmental
Health, organized a SIN workshop: Substitute it Now - Understanding the origins and exploring the potential of ChemSec's bold list of "bad actor" chemicals.

Caroline Scruggs, Stanford University

The SIN workshop in San Francisco on January 27th was a special event in the U.S. It provided a unique and much-needed opportunity for those interested in chemicals policy in the U.S. and EU to gather for a rich discussion of facts and ideas.