From the ECHA:

Today, ECHA has included 15 substances in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorisation. The list was published on ECHA website today. It will be regularly updated when more substances are identified as SVHC. ECHA urges companies to check their potential obligations resulting from the Candidate List.

We published the list here, which is as follows:

• Anthracene CAS No. 120-12-7
• 4,4′- Diaminodiphenylmethane CAS No. 101-77-9
• Dibutyl phthalate CAS No. 84-74-2
• Cobalt dichloride CAS No. 7646-79-9
• Diarsenic pentaoxide CAS No. 1303-28-2
• Diarsenic trioxide CAS No. 1327-53-3
• Sodium dichromate, dihydrate CAS No. 7789-12-0
• 5-tert-butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene (musk xylene) CAS No. 81-15-2
• Bis (2-ethyl(hexyl)phthalate) (DEHP) CAS No. 117-81-7
• Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) CAS No. 25637-99-4
• Alkanes, C10-13, chloro (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins) CAS no. 85535-84-8
• Bis(tributyltin)oxide CAS No. 56-35-9
• Lead hydrogen arsenate CAS No. 7784-40-9
• Triethyl arsenate CAS No. 15606-95-8
• Benzyl butyl phthalate CAS No. 85-68-7

The press release (PDF) lists the legal obligations for companies:

OBLIGATIONS: ARTICLES

• From 28 October 2008, EU and EEA suppliers of articles which contain substances
  on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1% (w/w) must provide
  sufficient information, available to them, to their customers and on request to
  consumers within 45 days of the receipt of this request. This information must
  ensure safe use of the article and, as a minimum, include the name of the
  substance.
• From 1 December 2011, EU and EEA producers or importers of articles have to
  notify ECHA when their article contains a substance on the Candidate List. This
  obligation applies if the substance is present above 0.1% (w/w) and its quantities
  in the produced/imported articles are above 1 tonne in total per year per
  company.

OBLIGATIONS: SUBSTANCES

• From 28 October 2008, EU & EEA suppliers of a substance have to provide a
  safety data sheet to their customers when the substance is on the Candidate
  List.

Click on the links for more information.  Nexreg has more information on REACH at the following link:

• REACH Compliance Consulting

To speak to a Nexreg representative about how REACH will impact your company, please call or e-mail Nexreg at:

Nexreg Toll Free: 1-866-361-3032
Non-Toll Free: (519)488-5126 (London, ON, Canada)
E-mail:info@nexreg.com

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, REACH Compliance, EU SDS Authoring.

The SCHC has a couple terrific resources on GHS, available here.  The following PDFs are available from them:

• GHS Pictograms
• GHS Flammable and Combustible Liquids

Click on the above links for more information.

Nexreg has more information on GHS at the following link:

• GHS Strategic Planning (English)

To speak to a Nexreg representative about how GHS will impact your company, please call or e-mail Nexreg at:

Nexreg Toll Free: 1-866-361-3032
E-mail:info@nexreg.com

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, GHS Consulting.

As we mentioned in Health Canada Cracking Down on Non Compliant Labels a number of products have been recalled for non-compliance with CCCR-2001 and the cosmetics regulations.  We have identified 17 products that have been recalled for label violations this year:

• Oct. 2008: Crack filler for asphalt (lacking necessary symbols)
• Oct. 2008: Tanning mist (flammability)
• Oct. 2008: Hair spray (flammability)
• Sep. 2008: Spa chemicals (lack of child proof cap)
• Sep. 2008: Paint solvent (lack of child proof cap)
• Sep. 2008: Film barrier lubricant (flame projection too long)
• Sep. 2008: Stainless steel polish aerosol (flammability)
• Sep. 2008: Carburetor cleaner (flame projection too long)
• Sep. 2008: Deodorant (flammability)
• Sep. 2008: Grout (lack of child proof cap)
• Aug. 2008: Spray truck bed coating (flame projection too long)
• Aug. 2008: Aerosol engine cleaners (flammability)
• Jul. 2008: Spray foundation (flammability)
• Jul. 2008: All purpose cleaner (flammability)
• Jul. 2008: Aerosol hair product (flammability)
• May 2008: Home fragrances (flammability)
• Apr 2008: Leather cleaner (child proof cap)

If you are have any doubts about the compliancy of your chemical products, please do not hesitate to contact us. More information about our label review services can be found here:

• Canadian Consumer Label Review
• Canadian Industrial Label Review
• Canadian Cosmetic Product Label Review

We can be contacted at:

Nexreg Toll Free: 1-866-361-3032
E-mail:info@nexreg.com

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, CCCR Consumer Label Reviews, WHMIS MSDS Authoring.

An article from Lawn and Landscape with some good HazCom related advice for employers, including:

• Keep your MSDSs updated and ensure that the applicable MSDS is readily accessible to any employee who may be exposed to that hazardous chemical. It’s a good idea to keep a binder with all MSDSs in your main office — but also require crew leaders or other supervisors to have copies of applicable MSDSs in their trucks at job sites.
• Know that your workers must understand how to read an MSDS and a chemical label.
• Train employees in the importance of properly labeled chemical containers. An improperly labeled container can result in the wrong use of the chemical, a fire or explosion, and injuries or deaths.

Click on the above link for the full article.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, OSHA MSDS Authoring, CPSC Consumer Label Reviews.

From letsrecycle.com:

The guidance document aims to help UK companies who believe they could be affected by the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations as they are introduced across Europe this year.

It has been published ahead of final guidance being issued by the European Commission and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

While the EU has been very clear that the regulations do not apply to waste, recovery businesses are classed as manufacturers under REACH, and, as such, they could be required to register chemical substances they recover from waste with the ECHA.

Last week it was confirmed that compost would be an exempt substance under REACH Annex V, and as a result compost producers do not have to register their substance, and Defra’s advice added that the European Commission was also expected to confirm that anaerobic digestion would be exempt under the same section.

There has been less clarity over the state over the situation for other recovery sectors, with paper reprocessors, and plastics recycling firms expressing doubts over just what the regulations would mean for them.

For more information, click on the above link.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, REACH Compliance, EU SDS Authoring.

From the EPA:

On May 3, 2007, EPA promulgated the final rule titled: National Air Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
Halogenated Solvent Cleaning (the Halogenated Solvent Cleaning rule) pursuant to sections 112(d)(6) and 112(f) of the Clean Air Act. The Halogenated Solvent Cleaning rule set facility-wide emission limits for certain halogenated solvent cleaning machines and a May 3, 2010, compliance deadline.

Following promulgation of the Halogenated Solvent Cleaning rule, the Administrator received several petitions for reconsideration, pursuant to Clean Air Act section 307(d)(7)(B). The purpose of this notice is to initiate a process for responding to certain issues raised in the petitions. We are requesting comment on the particular issues for which we are granting reconsideration, and those issues are identified, in detail, below. Specifically, we are requesting comment on the revised risk assessment, our use of the 2002 National Emissions Inventory data in lieu of the 1999 National Emissions Inventory data, which was used at proposal, our ample margin of safety determination under Clean Air Act section 112(f)(2), our determination under Clean Air Act section 112(d)(6), and the compliance deadline.

DATES: Comments. Comments must be received on or before December 4, 2008.

Please click on the above link for more information.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, CPSC Consumer Label Reviews, OSHA MSDS Authoring.

A bulletin from the EPA:

On October 17, 2008, EPA finalized several changes to the Emergency Planning (Section 302), Emergency Release Notification (Section 304) and Hazardous Chemical Reporting (Sections 311 and 312) regulations that were proposed on June 8, 1998 (63 FR 31268). These changes include clarification on how to report hazardous chemicals in mixtures, and changes to Tier I and Tier II forms. Additionally, the rules now use a question and answer format. Facilities subject to EPCRA reporting, State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and fire departments should become familiar with the new regulation…

Please note that we are providing this unofficial pre-publication copy of the Federal Register Notice (signed October 17, 2008) for public reference. This document has not been published in the Federal Register and is not an official version of the final rule. The official rule will be available here once it is published by the Federal Register Office. This final rule is effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Please click on the link for more information.

A press release from the EPA:

The new standard for lead in the air, 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (microgram/m3), is a tenfold reduction from the current standard of 1.5 microgram/m3 and is within the range recommended to the EPA by its science advisors. The current standard dates back to 1978, a time when leaded gasoline was widely used in automobiles and children’s average blood lead levels were seven times higher than today. Most importantly, in 1978, the serious effects of low level lead exposure on children were not yet well understood.

Lead is a potent neurotoxin that interferes with children’s brain development and worsens performance on IQ tests. EPA’s analysis has shown that to prevent a measurable decrease in IQ for the most vulnerable children in the country, the lead standard would need to be set as low as 0.02 microgram/m3. In addition to strong evidence for harm to children’s neurological development at low levels, new science indicates that lead exposures throughout life can increase risks of cardiovascular illness and mortality.

Also in this final decision, EPA has chosen lead in Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) as the main indicator and the highest three month rolling average over three years as the form of the standard for monitoring and compliance. Because TSP captures more of the total available lead in the air than the alternative indicator under consideration, Particulate Matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), it provides greater protection for a given level of the standard.

Click on the above link for more information.

A story on BPA from The Globe and Mail:

Canada on Saturday will become the first country to formally declare bisphenol A hazardous to human health and officially inform the baby-product industry it will no longer be able to use the chemical in baby bottles.

Canada’s announcement comes six months after Health Minister Tony Clement surprised the chemical industry by announcing the government’s plan to place bisphenol A on its list of toxic substances and ban its use in baby bottles.

In unveiling the “precautionary and prudent” move, Clement proposed a limited ban of the widely used chemical, also found in hard plastic sports bottles and the lining of food cans…

The government’s final decision will appear in the Canada Gazette, which publishes the official regulations of the government…

Click on the above link for more information.  We will be publishing more information on these regulations as they become available.

From an EU press release (PDF):

At its meeting in Helsinki of 7 and 8 October 2008 the ECHA Member State Committee unanimously agreed on the identification of 14 Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) that may become subject to authorisation. One additional substance was already identified as SVHC without Member State Committee involvement as no comments were provided during the public consultation. These 15 substances will be included in the ‘Candidate List’ which will be published on the ECHA website later in October.

We published the initial list of 16 earlier this year here.  The list of 15 substances to make the cut:

• Anthracene CAS No. 120-12-7
• 4,4′- Diaminodiphenylmethane CAS No. 101-77-9
• Dibutyl phthalate CAS No. 84-74-2
• Cobalt dichloride CAS No. 7646-79-9
• Diarsenic pentaoxide CAS No. 1303-28-2
• Diarsenic trioxide CAS No. 1327-53-3
• Sodium dichromate, dihydrate CAS No. 7789-12-0
• 5-tert-butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene (musk xylene) CAS No. 81-15-2
• Bis (2-ethyl(hexyl)phthalate) (DEHP) CAS No. 117-81-7
• Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) CAS No. 25637-99-4
• Alkanes, C10-13, chloro (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins) CAS no. 85535-84-8
• Bis(tributyltin)oxide CAS No. 56-35-9
• Lead hydrogen arsenate CAS No. 7784-40-9
• Triethyl arsenate CAS No. 15606-95-8
• Benzyl butyl phthalate CAS No. 85-68-7

The one substance that did not make the cut:

• Cyclododecane CAS No. 294-62-2

For this substance:

On one proposal, Cyclododecane, the MSC unanimously agreed that there was no sufficient scientific data to justify identification under Art. 57.

For more information, click on the links.