Membership Meeting to Discuss Bill S 197

The bill in question is S 197, An Act Relating to Liability for Toxic Substance Exposures or Releases. This act may have an impact on any business or individual that uses chemicals of any kind, whether for cleaning, as a part of the manufacturing process, dyeing, painting, engine maintenance or repair, personal services, dry cleaning, salon processes or any other use.

Importantly, the liability extends into the future, should a chemical allowed in use today be deemed to be harmful one, five, twenty, fifty or one hundred years or more into the future.

In its simplest form, this means that if you use a chemical to clean with today, and you or your employees are exposed to the fumes and in 2033 that chemical is deemed to be harmful to human health, you could be liable for damages. You could also be liable for the cost of providing medical monitoring for anyone who was exposed to those fumes any time after the enactment of the law, regardless of whether you followed strict adherence to the instructions while using the chemical for cleaning.