Does using the Precautionary Principle mean practices will be banned?
It is not the intent of the Precautionary Principle to ban products or activities but rather to review a full range of alternatives to potential harm. The Precautionary Principle ensures that we as a county make fully informed decisions, examine less harmful or resource intensive alternatives, and that decisions be made in a fully informed, transparent, and democratic manner. Using the example of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood which includes cancer causing arsenic; we may find that arsenic-containing wood is perfectly acceptable for use in pier pilings where the arsenic is unlikely to leach in salt water environments. However, we may find that CCA wood used in play structures at parks is likely to increase the cancer risks for children using those play structures. Therefore, the county may choose an alternative to CCA treated wood. These decisions would be made in a transparent and democratic manner.
