From CSRwire:

Congress is writing a new proposal to reform TSCA, updating last year’s Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. Scheduled for a Fall 2009 introduction, the policy will address these and many other deficiencies by establishing tough new safety standards for each chemical on the market and requiring manufacturers to prove that their chemicals meet these standards before they can be used in the products people buy. The bill would give the EPA new authority to restrict any substances that fail to pass the test.

To rally support for the Kid-Safe Chemical Act and raise awareness of the urgent issues it addresses, Seventh Generation, Erin Brockovich, and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families have launched the Million Baby Crawl, an online initiative designed to educate parents, empower them to work on the legislation’s behalf and literally help them create infant avatars. The result will be a virtual march, or crawl, to Washington, DC, where they’ll “rattle” legislators for toxic chemical reform.

Click on the links for more information.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From WSAZ NewsChannel 3:

To use or not to use? That’s the question when it comes to hand sanitizers in one local school district. After warnings about the dangers of children drinking hand sanitizer, the policy was changed in Cabell County Schools. As we quickly found out, though, there was mass confusion about what the new policy was and what’s in the best interest of the children.

…..Southside Elementary Principal John Hanna said the situation could have been avoided with communication on his part. “Hand sanitizers are allowed in the schools as long as we have the MSDS sheet on them, which tells us what ingredients and chemicals are in them,” Hanna said. “Then, it’s up to the teacher to monitor their use.”

Meanwhile, kids who attend Cabell County Schools are not supposed to bring their own hand sanitizers from home. School officials say, however, they’re having a hard time policing that.

Click on the links for more information.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: CPSC compliance, OSHA MSDS authoring, MSDS authoring

From PolitickerNJ on a bill that sounds an awful lot like the EU’s REACH:

Today, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representatives Hilda L. Solis (D- CA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced major legislation to protect Americans, especially children, from toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products. The bill would ensure for the first time that all the chemicals used in baby bottles, children’s toys and other products are proven to be safe before they are put on the market…

“Recent news regarding bisphenol A in baby bottles underscores the need for significant reform to ensure children are not unnecessarily exposed to chemicals which threaten their health and environment,” Solis said. “The Kids-Safe Chemicals Act is needed to repair the fundamentally flawed chemical regulatory structure. Our nation’s children deserve adequate protection and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure their health is protected.”…

Out of the 80,000 chemicals used to produce the products in our homes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has only required testing of 200…

The legislation, called the Kids Safe Chemical Act, would therefore establish a safety standard for each chemical on the market. It would also shift the burden for proving chemicals are safe from EPA to the chemical manufacturers. Under the bill, the manufacturers would have to provide the EPA the data necessary to determine if a chemical is safe. The bill would give new authority to EPA to restrict the use of chemicals which fail to meet the EPA’s safety standard.

Click on the above link for the full article. Senator Lautenberg has hilights of the act on his website which include the following:

Require Basic Data on Industrial Chemicals

Chemical companies must demonstrate the safety of their products, backed up with credible evidence. Chemicals that lack minimum data could not be legally manufactured in or imported into the United States. [Section 505]

Place the Burden on Industry to Demonstrate Safety

EPA must systematically review whether industry has met this burden of proof for all industrial chemicals within 15 years of adoption. [Section 503]

Expand the Public Right to Know on Toxic Chemicals

New, Internet-accessible public database on chemical hazards and uses will inform companies, communities, and consumers. EPA is to rein in excessive industry claims of confidentiality. [Sections 511 and 512]

The full text of H.R.6100 – Kid-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 is available here.