AUGUSTA (AP) – Gov. John Baldacci said Monday he will incorporate into his 2008 legislative package some of the recommendations of a task force on reducing toxic chemicals in consumer products.

“Gone are the days that protecting our people and environment run counter to business interests,” Baldacci said as he received the report of a 13-member task force, which was created through a February 2006 executive order.

The order also directed state government to set an example for the rest of Maine by cutting back on purchases of toxic products and using fewer pesticides around state office buildings.

Since then, the administration has launched a “Green Seal” program in which environmentally friendly cleaning supplies are purchased and used in several state-owned buildings, Baldacci said.

Innovations in Maine reduce the need for potentially harmful chemicals, Baldacci said, citing as an example InterfaceFABRIC. With plants in Newport and Guilford, the company is the first to commercially produce a fabric using a plastic made from corn. The material is nontoxic, petroleum-free and can be composted, said Baldacci.

Efforts are also under way to determine the viability of developing an in-state facility to extract potato starch and convert it to make the same plastic-type material, Baldacci said.

The Legislature has put Maine among the first states to pass laws requiring junk car handlers to remove mercury switches and to phase out a flame retardant known as deca that is used in consumer goods. Deca is said to cause a noxious gas if burned.

Baldacci said events since passage of those laws have raised concerns about the safety of imported toys, prompting legislation to be considered in 2008 to improve the safety of toys and children’s products. A separate bill calls for more consumer information about lead-paint hazards.

The governor plans to submit a bill incorporating task force recommendations to develop a comprehensive chemicals policy focusing on the safety of consumer products. Baldacci said his bill will be introduced to complement the announced legislative efforts.

The task force said it agrees with the U.S. Government Accountability Office that the 1976 federal Toxics and Substances Control Act does not provide sufficient chemical safety data for public use by consumers, businesses and workers.

The report says the law “is inadequate to ensure the safety of chemicals in commerce in the United States; and fails to create incentives to develop safer alternatives.”

Toxic chemicals in consumer products present “significant risk of adverse health consequences ranging from subtle cognitive development to chronic disease and premature death,” the report says.

Among its major recommendations are:

• publication of a list of chemicals of high and moderate concern,

• requiring businesses to disclose the chemicals of high and moderate concern that are used in their products,

• a database available to consumers showing which chemicals are in consumer products,

• restricting chemicals in consumer products when safer alternatives are available and affordable,

• more funding for state pesticides regulators for chemical tracking and consumer safety outreach, and

• encouraging “green chemistry.”