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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 1 Precautionary Principle Policy Statement <br />Sec. 100. FINDINGS. <br />The Board of Supervisors finds and declares that: <br /> <br />A. Every San Franciscan has an equal right to a healthy and safe environment. This that our air, water, <br />earth, and food be of a sufficiently high standard that individuals and communities can live healthy, fulfilling, <br />and dignified lives. The duty to enhance, protect and preserve San Francisco's environment rests on the <br />shoulders of government, residents, citizen groups and businesses alike. <br /> <br />B. Historically, environmentally harmful activities have only been stopped after they have manifested extreme <br />environmental degradation or exposed people to harm. In the case of DDT, lead, and asbestos, for instance, <br />regulatory action took place only after disaster had struck. The delay between first knowledge of harm and <br />appropriate action to deal with it can be measured in human lives cut short. <br /> <br />C. San Francisco is a leader in making choices based on the least environmentally harmful altematlves, thereby <br />challenging traditional assumptions about risk Numerous ordinances the <br />Integrated Pest Management Ordinance, the Resource Efficient Building Ordinance, the Healthy Air <br />Ordinance, the Resource Conservation Ordinance, and the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Ordinance <br />apply a precautionary approach to specific City purchases and activities. Internationally, this model is cailed <br />the Precautionary Principle. <br /> <br />D. As the City consolidates existing environmental laws into a single Environment Code, and builds a framework <br />for new legislation, the City sees the Precautionary Principle approach as its policy framework to develop laws <br />for a healthier and more just San Francisco. By doing so, the City will create and maintain a healthy, viable <br />Bay Area environment for current and future generations, and will become a model of sustainability. <br /> <br />E. Science and technology are creating new solutions to prevent or mitigate environmental problems. However, <br />science is also creating new compounds and chemicals that are already finding their way into mother's milk <br />and causing other new problems. New legislation may be required to address these situations, and the <br />Precautionary Principle is intended as a tool to help promote environmentally healthy alternatives while <br />