February 15, 2018
On February 8, 2018, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issued a draft version of the 2018-2020 Work Plan for the Safer Consumer Products initiative. The Work Plan offers a general explanation for how DTSC selects specific product categories, including reviewing recommendations submitted from the public. The product categories DTSC will consider for future priority products consist of the following:
Note that product categories 1-5 are carried over from the 2015-2017 Work Plan, though the category names were modified for clarity and consistency with industry or regulatory naming conventions, or to adjust the category scope. For example, DTSC expanded the Household, School and Workplace category to include all of the State’s chemicals of concern rather than the flame retardants and stain repellants previously listed. DTSC indicated that the new food packaging category was inspired by a petition the Agency received to list BPA in food cans as a priority product, a petition the Agency denied in July 2017 due to a lack of detail. The categories dropped from the prior Work Plan are Clothing and Fishing and Angling equipment.
Listing of a product category does not indicate DTSC has decided to regulate any products within that category. The listing of a product category indicates DTSC intends to evaluate products within that category for selection as priority products in the following three years. DTSC will accept comments from potentially affected parties concerning the appropriateness of the categories before finalizing the Work Plan in the Spring. Only products that are eventually assigned as Priority Products, following stakeholder engagement through a formal rulemaking process, are subject to regulatory requirements.
DTSC is holding a public comment period on the Draft Work Plan from February 12, 2018 until March 9, 2018. DTSC will also lead a public workshop regarding the Work Plan on February 26, 2018, 10 am-noon PST.
A copy of the DTSC Work Plan can be obtained here.
Public comments on the Work Plan may be submitted starting February 12, 2018 through the CalSAFER website: https://calsafer.dtsc.ca.gov/
Tom A. Lewandowski, Ph.D., DABT, ERT, ATS
Principal
tlewandowski@gradientcorp.com
Joel M. Cohen, Sc.D.
Senior Toxicologist
jcohen@gradientcorp.com
Gradient is an environmental and risk sciences consulting firm renowned for our specialties in Toxicology, Epidemiology, Risk Assessment, Product Safety, Contaminant Fate and Transport, Industrial Hygiene, Geographic Information Systems, and Environmental/Forensic Chemistry. We employ sound science to assist national and global clients in resolving their complex problems relating to chemicals in the environment, in the workplace, and in consumer products.