The Supreme Court is a powerful but costly way to put a ban on chemicals. There are cases that due to their severity in goes to court to get a lawful ban and the appropriate crime punishment. There are List Of Prohibited And Restricted Cosmetic Ingredient verified by FDA, EPA list of banned chemicals, Chemicals Banned Under FIFRA and also other well recognize department and agency.
However, those lists have no firm law base that can actually put companies into jail or pay fines. That when the Supreme Court came to the picture and able to make thing legal.
Chemical Banned By Supreme Court
Here are some chemicals banned by the supreme court that get huge media attention so should you.
1. Hexavalent Chromium
The chemical that gained popularity as a famous water contamination case chemicals that Erin Brockovich sued and take to court over in California. The List Of Banned Toxic Chemicals includes this chemical that pollutes water and causes various severe human health issues.
Moreover, the case also one of America most shocking relevance of the Federal Regulation that highlight the lingers public health that involves not only the company but also various federal departments.
2. Chromium-6
Before a chemical receives a ban there are years of monitoring, researching, restriction and prohibition label before any ban is really place upon a chemical. Beyond those long process is Chromium-6 that place under US Federal Monitoring rule standard in public drinking water. The various Uses Of Chromium In Everyday Life specify the use of this element as a catalyst, preservatives, metallurgy and so on.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or EPA sets limitation for chromium in water, that create skin rashes, skin irritation and cancer due to the chemical substances. However, the abundance of evidence of how carcinogenic the chemical is, it needs more than one state to put the chemical under the ban that the supreme court can verify.
3. Chlorpyrifos
Another media frenzy of a chemical in pesticides that endanger the public health by still permitting this chemical available in the market despite numerous scientific evidence. The EPA urges the U.S government to put a ban and take this chemical out from the market due to the exposure that harmful to babies’ brains.
Chlorpyrifos is in the List Of Chemicals Evaluated For carcinogenic Potential substance. Moreover, it also shows evidence leading to acute toxicity, poisoning, and developmental effects in babies.
4. Asbestos
It takes months and even years for a chemical that label with “unreasonable risk” to turn into banned or any other level that shows the more severe label in accordance with its risk. This is a case that takes years and media attention due to the facts it leads to other matter such as politic and financial issues.
The efforts to cut the cost down focus on rectifying the “unreasonable risk” question. The Supreme Court sees the case Michigan v. EPA, where Asbestos interpreted the terms “appropriate” and “necessary” in the context of the Clean Air Act that requires huge sums of research.
In the other hand, asbestos itself is Harmful Chemicals That Can Kill You and pose real and dangerous threats. It highlights danger in human and also the surrounding environment. Moreover, the substance is famous in the various industry with many useful usages. Asbestos does not kill a person in a second and took some time before accumulates to a severe level.
5. Hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)
There are even case in the Supreme court where companies case against EPA banned the chemical. Honeywell and Chemours, the U.S company work together and ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider in favor of an EPA hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) regulation.
Chemicals Banned By EPA among the many is HFC-134a, when all manufacturers should replace HFCs with HFOs which is less harmful and also potent greenhouse gases.
Apparently, many manufacturers including Honeywell and Chemours have a different opinion and ask supreme court to take their case against EPA. The case focus on EPA regulates manufacturers that replace ozone layer-depleting compounds with HFCs or other toxic, flammable, or environmentally harmful.
Despite the fact that HFO has zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and a very low GWP (Global Warming Potential), It still posts mild global warning effect that many corporate noted.
6. Polyurethane
The major concern that supreme court ban this chemical is to its slightly biodegradable matter as a polymer chemical. It creates a crucial waste pollution manufacturer and companies that use this chemical in their products.
The research focused on its ability to degrades to the environment. it pose concern on sustainability issue involving recycle or reuseable options for industries. A manufacturer even pays a huge fine to their failure on managing this chemical waste and the case go on for years at the supreme court.
Polyurethane itself is a Harmful Chemicals Banned Under REACH the agency in Europe. It also highlights the facts that many chemicals in Chemicals Banned In Europe But Safe In The US that get the general public and corporate angry.
There are various reasons why the Supreme court bans chemicals and put their attention on chemicals matter alongside with other nation problematic issues. When a certain chemical pose high treat or a lawful cencern, it goes to the supreme court.
Moreover, it represents the government willingness to put more strict rules and punishment for those who fails to commit to the list of banned chemicals.