RD7 - Biennial Report on Toxic Substances in the Commonwealth


Executive Summary:
This biennial report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Toxic Substances Information Act, Section 32.1-245 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. § 32.1-245. Biennial Report to General Assembly and Governor.-- The Board shall advise the General Assembly and the Governor as to all matters relating to toxic substances and shall report biennially on toxic substances in the Commonwealth. (Code 1950, § 32-438; 1976, c. 627; 1979, c. 711; 1984, c. 433; 1992, c. 203.)

The 1992 amendment deleted "the status of the control of" preceding "toxic substances."

The Toxic Substances Information Act was originally passed in 1976, and was signed into law on April 9, 1976. The Act required the State Board of Health to submit an annual report on "the status of the control of toxic substances in the Commonwealth." The first annual report on the subject, dated November 24, 1978, was formally submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly on March 23, 1979. Subsequently, annual reports dated July 1, 1980, July 1, 1981, and July 1, 1982 were submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly.

In 1982, the requirement for submitting the report on the status of the control of toxic substances was changed from annually to biennially. Accordingly, biennial reports have been submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly since 1984. The 1992 session of the General Assembly changed the title of the report to "Toxic Substances in the Commonwealth."

This report was compiled and written by Khizar Wasti, Ph.D., Director, Division of Health Hazards Control, Virginia Department of Health (VDH), with assistance from Patsy Hayden and Lala Wilson. Individuals within many state agencies contributed to this report.

This report summarizes numerous programs which are pertinent to the control of toxic substances in the Commonwealth. These programs are contained within 14 agencies of government and cover a variety of issues, including water and waterways, ambient air, the workplace, fertilizers and pesticides, solid and hazardous wastes, radioactive materials, and transportation of hazardous materials.

The term toxic, like the terms hot and cold, is relative in its application. All chemical substances may be considered toxic to a greater or lesser extent, depending on quantity, route and conditions of exposure, susceptibility of the exposed organism, and other factors. Many chemicals are innocuous under normal conditions of use and exposure. However, some substances, required for essential life processes, result in toxic manifestations when either too little or too much is available to an organism.

There are many definitions of toxic substances, but to set bounds on the content of this report, the following definition from Section 32.1-239 of the Code of Virginia is used:

"Toxic substance" means any substance, including any raw materials, intermediate products, catalysts, final products, or by-products of any manufacturing operation conducted in a commercial establishment, that has the capacity, through its physical, chemical or biological properties, to pose a substantial risk of death or impairment either immediately or over time, to the normal functions of humans, aquatic organisms, or any other animal.

Pursuant to this broad definition, radiation, biological agents, and some classes of chemicals, such as medicinals, cosmetics, fertilizers, and other chemicals not usually viewed as toxic, are included and discussed in this report.