From the Santa Barbara Independent:

Ignoring long-established science on the dangers of lead poisoning in the wild, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition to ban toxic lead fishing sinkers that frequently kill loons, swans, cranes, and other wildlife. A coalition of conservation, hunting, and veterinary groups had petitioned EPA in August to ban lead in fishing tackle and in bullets and shot for hunting. (The use of lead ammo is no longer legal in the California condor’s habitat range, but it is legal in most other parts of the nation.)

In August the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, and other groups formally petitioned the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act to ban lead in bullets and shot for hunting, as well as lead in fishing tackle. The petition referenced nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers illustrating the widespread dangers of lead poisoning form these sources…

Lead is an extremely toxic substance that is dangerous to people and wildlife even at low levels. Exposure can cause a range of health effects, from acute poisoning and death to long-term problems such as reduced reproduction, inhibition of growth, and damage to neurological development…

An estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the United States.

For more information see the above link.

From: Health Canada

Health Canada has recalled three aerosol shoe care products:

• All Weather Suede & Nubuck Protector is available in a 142g pressurized aerosol container with a red label and a black cap, sold under the brand name “Expert’s Choice”. The recalled product can be identified by the UPC 751806400449.
• All Purpose Protector is available in a 142g pressurized aerosol container with a blue label and a white cap, sold under the brand name “110% Sport”. The recalled product can be identified by the UPC 751806400340.
• Suede and Nubuck cleaner is available in a 120g pressurized aerosol container with a yellow label and a black cap, sold under the brand name “Kiwi”. The recalled product can be identified by the UPC 031600203003.

An inspection by Health Canada has determined that the recalled product does not meet labelling requirements for consumer chemical products under Canadian law.

The products lack the symbols and warnings required for consumer chemical products sold in Canada. This lack of labelling information may lead to serious adverse health risks.

For more information on this recall or others, click the link above.

November 4, 2010 – Mastercraft Machine Oil (sold with power tools) by Canadian Tire

It has been determined that the machine oil included in the packaging of these Mastercraft power tools poses an aspiration hazard. Ingestion of this machine oil may result in serious adverse health effects.

The machine oil bottle does not have the proper hazard labelling and child resistant caps as required by Canadian law. The lack of labelling and child-resistant packaging may result in serious illnesses or injuries.

If you 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

From: EurActiv

The EU’s REACH regulation requires companies to register all their dangerous chemical products and those they use in large quantities by 30 November. Yet in France, some manufacturers run the risk of missing the deadline as they are unaware that the law applies to them. EurActiv France reports.

According to two lawyers at French law firm Fidal, Frédéric Puel and Guillaume Pezzali, some companies have not realised that REACH applies to them: the regulation concerns not only chemical firms but also all companies that use the products.

The risks of non-compliance are considerable. If industries do not submit their dossiers in time, they will no longer be allowed to sell or import the substance in question. France has also established a ‘legal arsenal’: companies could be on the receiving end of administrative and criminal penalties.

Next Steps:

• 30 Nov. 2010: Deadline for companies to register substances of which they produce or import more than 1,000 tonnes a year and all hazardous products.
• 31 May 2013: Deadline for registration of substances of which companies produce or import more than 100 tonnes a year.
• 31 May 2018: Deadline for registration of substances of which companies produce or import more than one tonne a year.

Click on the links for more information.

From: UPI

Flame retardant chemicals found in home furniture, electronics, insulation, mattresses and other products are hazardous, U.S. environmentalists say

Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants can cause serious health harm while providing only limited fire safety benefits, a release from Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, a coalition of 250 environmental health groups, said Thursday.

The coalition is urging an overhaul of the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, the current federal law regulating chemicals.

During the last congressional session, two proposals were presented to overhaul the toxic substances act, but neither reached a vote.

Click on the links for more information.

From: Inside Counsel

The California Green Chemistry Initiative Proposed Regulation for Safer Consumer Products, scheduled to be released in final form Jan. 1, 2011, holds companies responsible for using the least hazardous chemicals and processes possible in each phase of a product’s life. It covers any product sold in California—from lunchboxes to laundry detergent—and provides strict guidance for a product’s design, manufacture and end-of-life disposal.

Upon the rule’s enactment, a final draft of which was released for public comment Sept. 15, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will publish a list of priority chemicals that companies must cross-reference with their products’ components. If they use any of those chemicals in a product, the company must then perform an alternative assessment to determine if a safer substitute exists. Unless the company substitutes a safer chemical, it will face repercussions that range, depending on the level of hazard, from a warning label to a market ban.

We will keep you informed of any regulatory changes resulting from this legislation.

From: RISI

The European Commission is asking France, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovenia to update their chemicals legislation to comply with the Directive on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures. These Member States have either not adopted all the measures necessary to implement this law at national level or have not yet officially informed the Commission that they are in place. On the recommendation of Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, a reasoned opinion is being sent by the Commission. The four Member States have two months to comply with the request. Failing this, the Commission may refer them to the European Court of Justice.

Directive 2008/112/EC on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures amends several other Directives which contain provisions on the classification and labelling of chemicals.

Member States had to adopt and publish the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the new Directive by 1 April 2010. France, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovenia did not notify all the implementing legislation in time. Therefore a reasoned opinion is being sent.

Click on the links for more information.

From: smartplanet

An air freshener might bring the smell of the ocean right to your bedroom, but it’s not the same as the real thing. The fake smell is actually a mix of ingredients, not a salty, fresh breeze. And worse, scientists are finding some of the smells emitted by these household products are toxic and carcinogenic.

Unlike food products, manufacturers don’t have to label scented products – which means, they don’t have to disclose how their signature aroma was concocted. But if you open up any home, you’ll find an assortment of laundry detergents, deodorants and soaps that contain potentially harmful emissions.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, a third of the products that were tested contained a carcinogen. Even the green products weren’t any better than regular products. The results were published in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review.

Click on the links for more information.