On May 10 and 11, 2006 Portland and Multnomah County became one of the first cities and counties in the nation to adopt a comprehensive plan for management and reduction in the use of toxic chemicals. The municipalities voted unanimously to adopt the Toxics Reduction Strategy- A plan for minimizing use of toxic substances of concern in government operations by using the Precautionary Principle.

The Toxics Reduction Strategy uses the Precautionary Principle to identify alternatives to practices and products used in city and county operations that pose a threat to human health and/or the environment. The Strategy outlines an initial plan that will be refined and expanded in years to come. Short-term actions that have been identified in the strategy include establishing a purchasing policy with product specifications to support the reductions of toxics, installing mercury catching devices in county dental clinics, and choosing least toxic cleaning chemicals for use in city and county buildings.

The Toxics Reduction Strategy is the product of a resolution proposed by the Oregon Center for Environmental Health and the Sustainable Development Commission of Portland and Multnomah County and was adopted by both local governments in the fall of 2004. In early 2005, a Toxics Reduction Workgroup was formed, comprised of representatives from the community, environmental advocacy groups, local government, business, academia, and City and County staff. The strategy was prepared by the Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Multnomah County Sustainability Initiative and the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development with feedback from the workgroup and other stakeholders.

"The strategy aims to reduce toxics in government operations and protect public health and the environment by using the common-sense idea that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, said Strategy Workgroup member and PSU School of Community Health professor Stephanie Farquhar. "Rather than asking, how much harm is allowable, the Precautionary Principle is a tool that allows us to consider how little harm is possible?”