Victory: Patrick Praised for New Purchasing Policy

At a state fair that promotes the purchasing of “green products,” Governor Deval Patrick announced a new executive order that will dramatically reduce the use of toxic chemicals in Commonwealth-owned buildings. 

The executive order seeks to prevent asthma and other respiratory illnesses and promote a healthy environment by requiring state agencies to purchase safer “green” cleaning products. Safety experts and unions have been calling for the state to substitute toxic chemicals with safer products, but prior to the Patrick administration had been rebuffed.

“We applaud the Governor for taking these groundbreaking steps to eliminate toxic chemicals from the state’s buildings,” said Tolle Graham, an Occupational Health Coordinator at MassCOSH (The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health). “This Executive Order is an important first step toward protecting workers and the public from exposure to products that can cause asthma and other illnesses. On Monday November 2nd, the Legislature will have an opportunity to apply similar standards to all workplaces in Massachusetts when they hear the Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals.”  (Take Action on the bill!)

Data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed the need for eliminating the use of toxic cleaning chemicals in its five-year Asthma Action Plan for reducing asthma. Recent Massachusetts data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) estimated that 13.9% of adults with current asthma reported that their asthma was caused or made worse by exposures at their current job.

“This Executive Order helps ensure that the Commonwealth can lead by example by advancing the use of environmentally preferable products in state agencies with the Green Procurement Executive Order,” added Tolle Graham.

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For more information, contact Tolle Graham at 617-825-7233 x19