From BusinessGreen.com:

The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) delivered an unwelcome Christmas gift to the chemical industry over the holiday period, making two decisions that were welcomed by environmentalists but which have angered industry groups. The watchdog announced tough new measures to regulate the use of four chemical groups, and also listed the chemicals industry as one of three sectors that will face more demanding environmental clean-up regulations.

The four chemicals for which the EPA released action plans on December 30, are phthalates, short grain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluorinated chemicals. It said that it is also developing action plans for Benzidine dyes and pigments, and Bisphenol A. The move will place pressure on manufacturers that use the substances to limit their use and find alternatives where possible.

The American Chemistry Council reacted angrily to the introduction of the four action plans, suggesting that it was based more on the chemicals’ high profile in the media, rather than on scientific analysis.

The EPA’s other significant move, announced on the same day, saw it begin to develop regulations to guarantee that the owners of chemical plants can afford to pay for their own environmental clean-up. The move comes at a critical time politically for the EPA, as emissions reporting standards introduced by the Agency in September come into effect for the first time. From January 1, around 10,000 facilities were required to begin gathering greenhouse gas emissions information, which they will have to report to the EPA next year.

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From gas2.0 biofuels, oil, a revolution:

Move over CO2—you’ve been ousted, along with methane, as the biggest offenders of global climate change. According to a new a study by Purdue University and NASA, the major chemicals most frequently cited as leading to climate change, namely carbon dioxide and methane, are actually outclassed in their warming potential by compounds receiving less attention…

…The majority of the chemicals that cause heat to be trapped are used by industries worldwide. Based on the ability to trap radiation in the atmospheric window, chemicals such as sulfur and nitrogen flourides, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) stand out. Chemicals like CO2, while harmful, don’t close the atmospheric window as quickly as these other compounds making them more dangerous.

So CO2 and methane are not in fact the worst chemicals, but fluorine-containing compounds are actually the worst. In addition, according to [NASA scientist Timothy Lee], “The compounds also persist longer than carbon dioxide and other major global warming agents. The concern is that, even if emitted into the atmosphere in lower quantities, the chemicals might have a powerful cumulative effect over time. Some of these chemicals don’t break down for thousands of years.”

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