The American Chemical Society (ACS) has praised the House of Representatives’ passage of legislation seeking to improve federal coordination, dissemination and investment in green chemistry research and development (R&D).

Purpose of the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2007 is to provide safer, more sustainable technological options to replace traditional products and processes. Similar legislation was passed overwhelmingly by the House in each of the last two Congresses, but was not acted on in the Senate.

"Green chemistry is the ultimate proof that environmental and economic benefits in chemistry can be optimized simultaneously. The technologies that spin out of this novel research are the seeds that can sustain small business ventures and green corporate practices," said ACS President Catherine T. Hunt. This, she said, “proves that that economics and environment are not mutually exclusive."

The bill dedicates resources at a number of federal agencies toward green chemistry R&D and improves interagency coordination. "By concentrating on sustainable economic practices in the chemical industry, we can move towards a more sustainable vision of the future," Hunt said.

Under the proposed legislation, the US National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Energy would work together to fund and coordinate green chemistry R&D.

An interagency platform would support merit-reviewed grants to individual researchers, university-industry partnership, R&D and technology transfer at federal laboratories and the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in green chemistry science and engineering.