The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has released the latest draft of regulations to implement the Green Chemistry Initiative, a massive chemicals management system with the potential to affect nearly all firms that manufacture or sell consumer products in California.
CalChamber Concerns
In a statement issued after the July 27 release of the new draft rules, California Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allan Zaremberg commented:
"Our concern has always been that if not written correctly, these regulations will impede innovation, technology and investment in product development.
"We shouldn’t add a costly new California bureaucracy that duplicates much of the federal consumer and environmental protections taxpayers already pay for. Investors and innovators are faced with a new regulatory regime in California that has substantial power over, not just the existing marketplace of products, but also the development of alternatives.
"California consumers can’t afford a government agency interfering in the development of their necessary consumer products without regard to effectiveness and price."
The CalChamber is in the process of carefully reviewing the latest regulations and will be submitting detailed comments to the DTSC before the public comment period expires.
Timeline
Attempts to adopt green chemistry rules failed in 2010. The DTSC hopes to have the rules adopted late this year. Bipartisan legislation passed in 2008 aimed to create a science-based framework for regulating chemicals in consumer products. AB 1879 (Feuer; D-Los Angeles) and SB 509 (Simitian; D-Palo Alto) authorized the DTSC to identify "chemicals of concern," study them, prioritize them and regulate certain products that contain these chemicals.
The CalChamber and a large number of business trade groups and companies formed an alliance that has been constructively commenting on the proposed green chemistry rules at every stage of the process.
Source: CalChamber Alert
Published with permission
Staff Contact: Brenda M. Coleman
