(Washington, DC) – With legislation to update the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for the first time in almost 35 years close to being introduced later this month in the House, a coalition of health care providers and manufacturers of consumer products said three things need to be included in the bill to ensure maximum effectiveness. These organizations want TSCA updated because the toxicity of the majority of chemicals commonly used in commerce is unknown. Current law allows chemical… …
The “Greening Consumer Electronics - from Hazardous Material to Sustainable Solutions” Conference in the European Parliament “The question is not whether the electrical and electronic equipment industry can phase out these chemicals, but when,” says Jill Evans, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur on RoHS dossier. CPA presents at Greening Consumer Electronics - from Hazardous Material to Sustainable Solutions Conference at the European Parliament on November… …
New Report on the Greening of Electronic Products October 6, 2009 Apple, Sony Ericsson and Major Suppliers are Leading the Industry in Removing Chlorine and Bromine Based Substances from Electronic Products Greening Consumer Electronics Clean Production Action and ChemSec released a new precedent setting research report on companies that are leading the electronics industry by moving away from chemicals that can lead to health and environmental problems. The report:… …
Brussels An international group of environmental, legal and health NGOs[1] welcomed today’s judgment by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the European Commission’s decision to exempt decaBDE[2], a brominated flame retardant, from a list of hazardous substances banned in the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive[3]. The judgment ends a legal disagreement that arose after several Member States as well as Norway and the European Parliament took the Commission to… …
In 2003, the European Union passed into law the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which eliminates the use of certain toxic chemicals in electronics, including deca-BDE (bromodiphenyl ether), beginning in July 2006. Under the RoHS Directive, the European Commission has the authority to issue an exemption for four years if elimination is “technically or scientifically impracticable” or if the environmental health impacts of alternatives outweigh the impacts of… …
A hazardous chemical is likely to be accepted as “safe for consumer use” by the European Commission this week. Deca-BDE, which is used as a flame retardant for electrical goods and textiles and is found as a contaminant in food, is known to accumulate in the human body when ingested. If Deca-BDE is accepted as safe, confidence in the EU’s proposed chemical safety legislation, known as REACH, will be completely undermined, according to three leading public health organizations… …
The Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals A Platform for Creating a Safe and Healthy Environment through Innovation Fundamental reform to current chemical laws is necessary to protect children, workers, communities, and the environment. We must shift market and government actions to protect health and the natural systems that support us. As a priority, we must act to phase out the most dangerous chemicals, develop safer alternatives, protect high-risk communities, and ensure that those… …
A New report on substitutes for the brominated flame retardant chemical, deca-BDE, increases pressure on European Commission to maintain ban on April 19thvote in Technical Adaptation Committee (TAC). Today, the European Public Health Alliance - Environment Network (EEN), Clean Production Action and Health Care Without Harm increased the pressure to maintain the ban on the brominated flame retardant deca-BDE, commonly used in consumer electronics, by releasing a comprehensive review of available… …