Better Living Through Chem-Mystery?

E.U. chemical-registration and testing law kicks in; industry gets huffy

Posted at 12:58 PM on 12 Jun 2008

The European Union's comprehensive chemical law, REACH, is finally starting to take effect, requiring manufacturers and importers of chemicals to begin registering their products with a new regulatory agency. The REACH law was heavily diluted between its first introduction and final passage due to heavy pressure from the chemical industry, but it's still expected to have a big impact on the E.U. marketplace. Chemical manufacturers from around the world will eventually be forced to test their products for safety before selling them in the European Union. U.S. businesses are particularly miffed about the new regulatory requirements, saying they're expensive and unduly burdensome. But many consumer advocates are thrilled about the potential impacts. "This is going to compel companies to be more responsible for their products than they have ever been," said Daryl Ditz of the Center for International Environmental Law. "They'll have to know more about the chemicals they make, what their products are, and where they go."

sources: The Washington Post, Mondaq

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Comments: (7 comments)

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European restriction on makers of chemi-kils

REACH
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances
Sounds good to me, however, quoting the Washington Post: "The EPA has banned only five chemicals since 1976....Instead, the EPA relies on industry to voluntarily cease production of suspect chemicals."
Isn't this the fox guarding the hen house?

by Masked Goddess at 1:55 PM on 12 Jun 2008

"masked goddess"?!

Sorry, this has nothing to do with "chem-mystery" (which indeed deserves another religionist comment, but not right now): but really, what is the assumed name "masked goddess" supposed to accomplish?

If you are a goddess, are you not already a bit inaccessible, by nature?

So you can get away with simply saying, "Hey, I am a goddess!," and everyone would understand that they could not see your true face.

And so, the affectation of the Mask is kind of like guilding refined gold, and painting the lily.

On top of that, the intense effort to be secretive, while presenting oneself as of special value, is vaguely offensive/pretensious. Or so I might think, knowing nothing.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 2:05 PM on 12 Jun 2008

A simple attempt at going for the lighter side

I've had to wear a mask with carbon filter inserts to my job for almost 2 years now. Remodeling, new carpet, etc., you get my drift. Get another job you might say. EZ to say if you haven't developed chemical sensitivities. Where might one go that you don't come into contact with chemicals of some kind? And people say, but "you look okay". And so, the Masked Goddess name is simply a spoof on the lace mask (hey, if I have to wear one!) I wear at work. One learns to develop a sense of humor when what started out as reactions only to perfume has developed into reactions to the ink on newspapers, magazines, some plastics, laundry detergent, cleaning products, air fresheners in public restrooms, diesel fumes, to name a few.

by Masked Goddess at 2:33 PM on 12 Jun 2008

ha!, well done, MG!

Very nice, a job well done!

But of course you realize, a cult is now going to start following you around, whether you want them to or not ... : )

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 2:48 PM on 12 Jun 2008

masked goddess & the EPA

I too am a masked goddess and work at the same location as the original "Masked Goddess". And yes both of us have been sick for over 7 years due to chemical sensitivity and as you said [knowing nothing] because we are forced to wear a mask [& filters] we are a bit inaccessible, but only to people like you!
As for the EPA they were unable to protect their own employees [Waterside Mall, Washington DC]in the EPA Headquarters Building - after renovating the building in 1998 it became a "sick building"
resulting in a lawsuit and award to EPA employees who became like us "chemically sensitive". So 3 cheers for Europe & Canada and their progressive attitude and boo to our government for assisting the chemical industry help destroy the enviornment while they went through the paperwork to find out if the chemicals in laundry detergent kill the fish.
The excessive perfume use by co-workers,orginal cause of our illness, is still hangs in puffy clouds on a daily basis in our office & we wear a mask/filters to protect ourselves as much as possible and yessss we are "masked goddesses"!

by masked goddess2 at 2:55 PM on 12 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

MG, geez that was my 1st car!

Ahhh, hey thanks, MG reminded me of my 1st new car, a '71 MGB - hadn't thought of that in years. British racing green - camel interior. What a fun car, however I later learned why most of the ones I saw looked like rust buckets. I'm actually proud that my then boyfriend taught me to tune the carbuerators on that thing - it seemed to always need an adjustment (being a girly girl 'twas quite an achievement for me). Burned strawberry incense in the ashtray and never could get the smell of that stuff out of the carpet. And back then I thought chemicals were my friend! Who would've guessed that 30+ years later I'd be a wearing MG instead of driving one! Ahhhh, had I know then....

by Masked Goddess at 3:32 PM on 12 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

Oh right, MG!

I was told that if you drive too fast through a puddle in an MG, that's it, the wiring is shot, and the car (or, carlet) will quickly poof out.

You might think that British designers would have taken puddles into account ...

In fairness to both Masked Goddesses, meanwhile, I should point out that goddesses do indeed present themselves to mortal human beings in disguise, sometimes -- which is not quite the same as being "masked," but is close.

E.g., in the Odyssey, Book I, Athena comes in disguise to the palace of Odysseus, in which were currently residing:

Penelope, the circumspect wife of Odysseus;
Telemachus, the promising 20-ish son of Odysseus, who needs a bit of a push;
the Suitors, the most UNpromising unmarried menfolk, who never went off to fight the Trojan War with Odysseus, and now think that all they have to do is wait around and get married to Penelope, whichever of them she chooses -- which she is putting off -- , and that that one's fortunes will be made; meanwhile they are eating up all the poor animals from Odysseus's farms, for dinner, lunchmeats, bacon, scrapple, whatever;
and NOT Odysseus, who is away, wailing on the island of the goddess Calypso (who has been very very nice to him, but never mind), missing his home.

So, the Suitors are carousing and being rude, and the family is miserable. Athena enters, as an old male friend of the family; the Suitors insult him/her; but Telemachus leaps up to receive him/her properly, with full respect and hospitality.

Needless to say, the Masked Goddess Athena goes on to show affection to the cute, shy, well-mannered kid; and he learns things he never knew before ...

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 4:31 AM on 15 Jun 2008

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