New proposed regulation takes tough stance on toxic chemicals

The proposed regulation will provide
consumers with info about toxic chemicals
in common household products.

California has often been at the forefront of tough regulatory standards when it comes to air pollution and chemicals.

That reputation is likely to uphold, as the state agency in charge of regulating toxic substances has released a new proposal for a “green chemistry” regulation that is supposed to inform consumers about harmful chemicals in products.

This is a revised draft – the first version was criticized for being too weak.

The new version has a longer list of “chemicals of concern”, doles out more responsibility to comply with the regulation and has stricter guidelines for products that include traces of potentially harmful chemicals such as lead and bisphenol A.

The aim is for consumers to be able to identify harmful substances in the products they use and to push manufacturers to replace harmful chemicals with safer alternatives.

The businesses will otherwise be required to explain to regulators why the substances are needed and take steps to raise consumer awareness and reduce their exposure.

Some highlights of the proposal:

• The proposal lists around 3,000 chemicals of concern (up from 800 in the previous draft)
• Products containing a particularly dangerous toxin will be exempted only if they contain less than 0.01 percent (as opposed to 0.1 percent in the previous draft)
• It’s not only the manufacturers who are responsible for complying with the regulation, but also importers and those in control of product design.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle 

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