July 2017 Regulatory Update

The chemicals are:

1. N, N-Dimethylformamide [CAS No. 68-12-2]
2. 2‑Mercaptobenzothiazole [CAS No. 149-30-4]
3. Tetrabromobisphenol A [CAS No. 79-94-7]

OEHHA is now requesting comments as to whether the above chemicals meet the Proposition 65 criteria for chemcials known to the state to cause cancer. The comment period will end on July 31, 2017.

The chemical details and issued NSRL are provided below:

The NSRL is effective July 1, 2017.

For Proposition 65 chemicals, if the exposure levels and discharges to drinking water sources are below the safe harbor levels (NSRLs and MADLs), the labeling requirement of Proposition 65 will be exempted. In some cases, enforcement actions may have resulted in negotiated exposure levels relative to specific settlement agreements.

The chemical details are provided below:

Glyphosate is listed under Proposition 65 effective July 7, 2017.

Starting July 1, 2017, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers shall not manufacture, sell or distribute children’s products and upholstered furniture containing the following flame retardants:

Currently, the guidelines specify that sleepwear designed for infants up to 7 kg with a chest circumference greater than 508 mm, will be subject to the “loose-fitting sleepwear” requirements. The updates to the guidelines will incorporate the following requirements to sleepwear for infants weighing up to 7 kg:

1. Chest circumference must be less than or equal to 508 mm
2. Labeling information must bear the intended age grade expressed in months and the age grade must be 9 months or younger

In addition, the updates aim to harmonize the sleepwear size requirements with the U.S. requirements found in 16 CFR 1615. The revised requirements will be incorporated into a new version of the Children’s Sleepwear guidelines, yet to be published.

The chemical added is:

1. Perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid and its salts

The deadline for notification about the presence of the new SVHCs in articles is January 7, 2018, six months after their inclusion on the List.

The proposed chemicals are as follows:

The expected submission date for the intention is August 7, 2017.

In the regulation, usage of PFOA and related substances are restricted and several enforcement dates have been appointed to different parts of the regulation (See Regulatory Recap: November 2016).

The first implementation date for the restriction will be July 4, 2020 and applies to the following:

• - PFOA and related substances shall not be manufactured, or placed on the market as substances on their own.
• - PFOA and related substances shall not be used in the production of, or placed on the market in a) another substance, as a constituent; b) a mixture, and c) an article, in a concentration equal to or above 25 ppb of PFOA including its salts or 1000 ppb of one or a combination of PFOA-related substances.

Three other parts of the regulation will be enforced on different enforcement dates respectively, with the second one on July 4, 2022, and the last one on July 4, 2032.

There are several exemptions to this regulation, including:

• - Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives;
• - The manufacture of a substance where this occurs as an unavoidable by-product;
• - A substance that is to be used as a transported isolated intermediate, and
• - Others

Please refer to the regulation for other exemptions.

The chemical details are as follows (Also see Regulatory Recap: October 2016):

Download the complete Recall Cases Summary - AUS (Last Update Date: June 30, 2017)

Compared to EU RoHS, Singapore RoHS applies to a narrower group of EEE products that are designed for household use. The restricted chemical limits set forth in the amendment act are summarized below:

• - Cadmium and its compounds (0.01%)
• - Hexavalent chromium (0.1%)
• - Lead and its compounds (0.1%)
• - Mercury and its compounds (0.1%)
• - Polybrominated biphenyls (0.1%)
• - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (0.1%)

The additional requirements established are summarized below:

1. Food utensils, containers or packaging shall bear “For food contact use” or equivalent
2. Food utensils, containers or packaging containing plastic that are intended to come into contact with food shall bear “For repetitive use” or “For single use”, or equivalent
3. Food utensils, containers or packaging containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyvinylidene dichloride (PVDC) plastic intended to come into contact with food shall bear “Avoid direct contacting with food with a high fat content at a high temperature” or equivalent