San Francisco, Calif. — The California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) has issued a significant revision to the straw proposal for the Safer Alternatives Regulation that could still potentially include products such as printers, electronic toys, and computing equipment used in the K-12 school environment, according to Mike Kirschner, president of Design Chain Associates LLC.
Kirschner says the regulation builds on the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) and other substance-related regulations such as the EU’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS), but only addresses “consumer products” and requires the replacement of certain substances with “safer” substitutes, something REACH and RoHS does not do.
Though still under development, a key source of inputs on the initiative is the “Green Ribbon Science Panel“, which consists of 27 experts from a variety of stakeholder groups. The panel is expected to meet on October 14 to review the draft regulation. Kirschner is a member of the panel.
Related articles: