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A far more radical and precautionary approach to chemicals has been taken by the US State of Massachusetts. Instead of using risk assessment to control chemical hazards, their Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) encourages companies to redesign processes and plant to reduce use of toxic chemicals and generation of hazardous waste.

"Toxics use reduction means in-plant changes in production processes or raw materials that reduce, avoid or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous by-products per unit of product so as to reduce overall risks to the health of workers, consumers or the environment without shifting risks between workers, consumers or parts of the environment," The Massachusetts Toxic Use Reduction Program.

The law requires that any firm using more than a certain amount of any substance on a list of toxic and hazardous chemicals must report on its use, and pay a fee, to the State. In this way, the law pays for itself. These firms are also required to prepare, and regularly update, a plan on how they would reduce or eliminate use of the listed chemicals in their processes.

Between 1990 and 1995, Massachusetts firms cut generation of hazardous waste by 30%, and reduced their use of toxic chemicals by 20% due to TURA. When the latest figures are analysed, the Massachusetts Toxic Use Reduction Program hopes to have met its goal to cut generation of hazardous waste by 50% by 1997.

The law has also saved firms money. Between 1990 and 1997, Massachusetts firms spent $76.6 million complying with TURA, but gained $90.5 million in savings in operating costs plus federal grants, so the law netted the firms nearly $14 million even before workers' health and environmental benefits are taken into account.

Planning toxics use reduction (TUR) in a business involves a step-by-step process: 1, setting goals and priorities; 2, analysing the process; 3, identifying TUR options;* 4, evaluating TUR options; 5, implementing TUR changes; and 6, measuring progress.

*TUR techniques are: 1, chemical input substitution; 2, product reformulation; 3, production process changes; 4, process modernisation; 5, improvement in operations and maintenance; and 6, in-process recycling

(Massachusetts is cleaner & safer: report on the Toxics Use Reduction Program, University of Massachusetts Lowell Toxics Use Reduction Institute, 1997; Toxics use reduction, Hazards 53, Winter 1995/1996, pp. 8-9; Sun goes down on toxics, Hazards 60, 1998, p. 4).

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