In the News

California Releases An Outline of the Draft Regulations for Safer Products

May 11, 2010

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has released a 21-page outline of the Draft Regulations for Safer Products. The outline will serve as the basis for the state's Green Chemistry Regulations for Safer Products. Under state law, the regulations must be adopted by January 1, 2011. (For information on the Green Chemistry Regulations, see the PackagingLaw.com article, California's Green Chemistry Initiative: Impact and Update.)

The outline for Safer Consumer Products Alternatives proposes a framework on how DTSC will determine the chemicals to be listed as "Chemicals of Concern" (COC) or "Chemicals under Consideration" (CUC), and the products to be included on the list of "Prioritized Consumer Products." The outline also includes requirements for preparing alternatives assessments for products or product categories listed as Priority Products, and directions for petitioning DTSC to evaluate a chemical or product category during the prioritization process. Any public or private entity or individual may nominate a chemical or product category. A copy of the outline can be found on DTSC's website.

Foods are excluded from California's Green Chemistry Regulations; however, food packaging is not. On its website, DTSC stated that it intends to release a draft of the regulations in the near future, as part of the formal rulemaking process, and invited feedback from stakeholders at any point in the rule development process.