The Precautionary Principle in Action:
California

Mendocino Partnership for the Precautionary Principle In June 2006, the Mendocino Board of Supervisors adopted the County's first-ever environmental policy—the Mendocino County Precautionary Principle Policy. To learn more about precaution in Mendocino, visit the Mendocino Partnership for the Precautionary Principle.

CAL/EPA Environmental Justice Recommendations
The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), through a legislative mandate, convened an Advisory Committee on Environmental Justice to guide the implementation of EJ in California. The Advisory Committee met for two years to determine specific ways for the Cal EPA to implement environmental justice in California throughout its boards, offices, and departments. Precautionary action is a core of the recommendations proposed by the Advisory Committee. Currently the Cal EPA is using these recommendations to advance EJ in California. The Recommendations document was finalized on September 30th, 2003. Read the report.

PBDE Ban - In 2003, California was the first state in the country to ban the use, sale and manufacturing of two harmful forms of PBDE (polybrominated diphenol ethers) flame retardants.

The California Healthy Schools Campaign is a coalition of organizations that works to eliminate the widespread, unnecessary and harmful use of toxic pesticides in schools.

Los Angeles School District - Integrated Pest Management - In 1999, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest city public school system in the country, adopted the nation's first Integrated Pest Management Policy based on the precautionary principle to provide the safest and lowest risk approach to controlling pest problems.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - The California Integrated Waste Management Board has launched a website with resources for finding various kinds of environmentally preferable products.

Forum - Women's Health in California - Listen to BAWG member Katie Silberman (Center for Environmental Health) discuss the Precautionary Principle in California on KQED's radio show Forum.

• KQED: Forum - May 29, 2003
• KQED: Forum - Oct. 13, 2003
  

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