Strategic Framework 2026-28

Overview

The Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2), under the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), conducted a strategic planning process in 2018 and 2019 to guide the development of annual work plans. The development of the first IC2 strategic framework involved an in-person meeting, two all-member surveys, three all-member meetings, and numerous deliberations and synthesis by the Executive Committee. Eleven actions comprising five strategic priorities emerged, and the core purpose, goals, and functions of the IC2 were affirmed. In 2026, the IC2 Board of Directors reassessed and confirmed these intentions and is presenting this Strategic Framework for 2026-2028. 

The strategies and actions are the ideas of the IC2’s community of participants, forged in the strategic planning process. These do not diverge from the IC2’s founding goals and functions; they are aimed at helping us achieve them. The tension between increasing organizational impact and working within resource constraints imbued the group’s discussion of each strategy and action and remains a challenge. These ideas are meant to influence the way workgroup priorities are identified and implemented as well as what actions are included in annual work plans. The level of effort invested in each will depend on members’ ability to take on leadership roles as well as the IC2’s ability to attract additional resources and streamline processes. 

Purpose

The IC2 convenes state, local, and tribal governments with businesses, researchers, and non–governmental organizations to promote the development and use of safer chemicals and products for a clean environment, healthy communities, and a vital economy. 

Goals

• Enhance efficiency, increase effectiveness, and avoid duplication of work on chemicals among agencies through collaboration and coordination 
• Build governmental capacity to identify and promote safer chemicals and products 
• Ensure that agencies, businesses, and the public have ready access to high-quality and authoritative chemicals data, information, and assessment methods 

Services

• Data and information collection, management, and dissemination, including chemical use reporting, lists of chemicals of concern, chemical hazard assessments, and alternatives assessments 
• Convene diverse stakeholders for greater collective impact and knowledge-sharing through workgroups, roundtables, board and all-member meetings, and webinars 
• Harmonize programs, policies, and methods among members and aligned agencies and organizations 
• Identify, assess, and collaborate on solutions to emerging issues 

Current Responsibilities

Members and Supporting Members

• Support the mission and goals of the IC2 and actively contribute to forums for collaboration and sharing professional advice and expertise around relevant topics 
• Suggest ideas for technical presentations, training opportunities, member roundtables, and other engagements to advance understanding and coordination among members on priority and emerging chemical and product issues 

Executive Committee and Board of Directors

• Provide and foster effective leadership for the IC2 to achieve its purpose, goals, and functions through regular meetings, administrative and financial oversight, and reporting 
• Make recommendations to the NEWMOA Board of Directors on organizational structure, roles, staffing, work planning, and budgets for the IC2 
• Increase external awareness of the IC2 and expand membership and engagement 
• Offer training opportunities, member roundtables, and other engagements to advance the IC2’s goals 

Workgroups

Alternatives Assessment (AA) Workgroup
The purpose of the IC2’s Alternative Assessment Workgroup is to support state efforts to develop flexible and adaptive steps that follow a shared understanding of what constitutes an alternatives assessment for chemicals of concern. 

Database User Group
The purpose of the IC2’s Database User Group is to understand and assess the chemical data needs of IC2 members and to develop systems to address those needs. The Group provides a forum for states that utilize, or are considering utilizing, the IC2 databases for chemicals in products reporting to discuss operations, maintenance, and development. 

Low Income and Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) Workgroup
The purpose of the IC2’s LIDAC Workgroup is to explore and identify ways to more fully address communities that have a disproportionate burden of environmental challenges.   

PFAS Workgroup
The IC2 PFAS Workgroup provides a forum to discuss and collaborate on PFAS use reduction, with the goal of learning from and not replicating work being done around the country. The Workgroup focuses on prevention and safer alternatives for current uses of PFAS in products. 

Procurement Workgroup
The purpose of the IC2’s Procurement Workgroup is to advance environmentally preferable government procurement to enhance the market for less-toxic products. 

Local & State Government TSCA Coordination Workgroup
The purpose of the IC2’s State and Local Government TSCA Workgroup is to track and engage in US EPA’s TSCA activities and ensure federal decisions consider state, local government, and tribal experience in reducing the use of toxic chemicals. This workgroup has also evolved into a forum for monitoring and discussing federal TSCA actions that have potential to impact state-level chemical policy. 

Product Testing Workgroup
The purpose of the IC2’s Product Testing Workgroup is to serve as a forum for sharing information about validated test methods for chemicals in consumer products and a venue for collaboration on developing and validating new methods. 

Strategies and Actions

The IC2 community identified the following strategies as priorities for workgroups to use in developing annual work plans. The level of effort invested in each will depend on member investment of time and resources as well as the IC2’s ability to attract additional funding and streamline processes.