Regulatory Updates

Distribution date: 06 February 2017 | Final date for Comment: 07 April 2017

<pre>The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) proposes to amend its regulations regarding fireworks devices under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The proposed amendments are based on the Commission's review of its existing fireworks regulations, the current fireworks market, changes in technology, existing fireworks standards, and safety issues associated with fireworks devices. The proposed amendments would create new requirements and modify or clarify existing requirements. Some of the proposed revisions would align with existing fireworks standards or codify the Commission's existing testing practices. The Commission believes that the proposed requirements would improve consumer safety by codifying limits, test procedures, and requirements that would reduce the risk of injury to consumers and clarifying existing requirements to promote compliance. </pre>

Products Covered: Fireworks

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 02 February 2017

This notice is issued to correct the Description of Content in Item 6 of notification G/SPS/N/JPN/500, dated 27 January 2017, as follows: "Dazomet, Metam and Methyl isothiocyanate are used as pesticide respectively. Dazomet and Methyl isothiocyanate can be readily metabolized to Methyl isothiocyanate in plants. Therefore, Japan is considering the MRL as a group of these substances." should be replaced with "Dazomet, Metam and Methyl isothiocyanate are used as pesticide respectively. Dazomet and Metam can be readily metabolized to Methyl isothiocyanate in plants. Therefore, Japan is considering the MRL as a group of these substances."

Products Covered:

Regulation Type: Corrigendum to Regular Notification

Distribution date: 01 February 2017 | Final date for Comment: 20 March 2017

<pre>Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile organic compound widely used in industrial and commercial processes and has some limited uses in consumer and commercial products. EPA identified significant health risks associated with TCE use in vapour degreasing and EPA's proposed determination is that these risks are unreasonable risks. To address these unreasonable risks, EPA is proposing under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in vapour degreasing; to prohibit commercial use of TCE in vapour degreasing; to require manufacturers, processors, and distributors, except for retailers of TCE for any use, to provide downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain; and to require limited recordkeeping. </pre>

Products Covered: Trichloroethylene (TCE)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 01 February 2017 | Final date for Comment: 02 April 2017

<pre>Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is a volatile chemical that has a variety of uses, including paint and coating removal. N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is a solvent used in a variety of applications, including paint and coating removal. For each of these chemicals, EPA has identified risks of concern associated with their use in paint and coating removal. EPA proposes a determination that these are unreasonable risks. EPA is proposing to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of methylene chloride for consumer and most types of commercial paint and coating removal under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA is also proposing to prohibit the use of methylene chloride in these commercial uses; to require manufacturers (including importers), processors, and distributors, except for retailers, of methylene chloride for any use to provide downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain; and to require recordkeeping. EPA is proposing an initial ten-year time-limited exemption from these proposed regulations on methylene chloride for coating removal uses critical for national security. First, EPA is proposing to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of NMP for all consumer and commercial paint and coating removal; to prohibit the use of NMP for all commercial paint and coating removal; to require, consistent with methylene chloride restrictions, downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain; to require recordkeeping; and to provide a time-limited exemption from these proposed regulations on NMP for coating removal uses critical for national security. For NMP, as an alternate proposal, EPA is proposing that (1) commercial users of NMP for paint and coating removal establish a worker protection program for dermal and respiratory protection and not use paint and coating removal products that contain greater than 35% NMP by weight (except for product formulations destined to be used by DoD or its contractors performing work only for DOD projects); and (2) processors of products containing NMP for paint and coating removal reformulate products such that these products do not exceed a maximum of 35% NMP by weight, identify gloves that provide effective protection for the formulation, and provide warning and instruction labels on the products. </pre>

Products Covered: Methylene chloride and N-Methylpyrrolidone

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

This standard prescribes the requirements and methods of sampling and test for Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilizer. The standards also prescribe the packaging and labelling requirements.

Products Covered: Fertilizer – Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

This&nbsp;Standard prescribes the methods for determination of moisture content in solid fertilizers.

Products Covered: Solid fertilizers

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

This Standard prescribes the requirements and the methods of sampling and test for urea fertilizer. The standards also prescribes the packaging and labelling requirements.

Products Covered: Fertilizer – Urea

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

This standard prescribes the requirements and methods of sampling and test for Triple Superphosphate (TSP) fertilizer. The standards also prescribes the packaging and labelling requirements.

Products Covered: Fertilizer - Triple Superphosphate

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

<p>This standard prescribes the methods for determination of various forms of free acidity in fertilizers.</p>

Products Covered: Fertilizers

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 30 January 2017 | Final date for Comment: 31 March 2017

This Tanzania standard prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling and test for ammonium sulphate fertilizer. The standards also prescribe the packaging and labelling requirements.

Products Covered: Fertilizer - Ammonium Sulphate

Regulation Type: Regular notification