August 09 ElectroIndustry - 4

Washington Report › Call to Action Steering Committee Focused on Phase II The Call to Action Steering Committee recently reviewed the intent and structure of Phase II of the industry’s Call to Action Initiative, a member-directed venture whose goal is to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances in NEMA products. The steering committee strives to develop guidelines for sections in Phase II that reflect the obligations companies face under the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation in Europe and other product design-oriented laws elsewhere. At its next meeting, committee members are expected to address details of a Phase II framework and produce a plan of action for working with the sections. As with Phase I, developing a strategy that meets the intent of the Call to Action and serves the needs of NEMA’s widely diverse membership is a challenging endeavor. The steering committee has welcomed several new members recently and is always open to constructive input from the broader NEMA membership. ei Mark Kohorst | mar_kohorst@nema.org › CPSC Gets New Chair, Continues Implementing Landmark CPSIA On June 19, the Senate unanimously confirmed Inez Moore Tenenbaum as the new chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Chair Tenenbaum takes over the commission term previously vacated by former CPSC chair Hal Stratton, whose position expires in October 2013. Tenenbaum assumes leadership of the CPSC at a historic time for the commission. The CPSC is implementing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA; Public Law 110-314), which strengthened the CPSC and authorized additional staffing and financial resources for the commission to carry out its mission. Enacted in August 2008, the one-year-old law has revolutionized the toy industry by establishing stringent thresholds on lead content and banning the use of certain phthalates in children’s products. The CPSC has undertaken rulemakings and issued guidance on several facets of the new law, which impacts every manufacturer of consumer products. Under Tenenbaum, the CPSC is expected to continue its work on CPSIA, including development of a public database to include any reports of injuries, illnesses, deaths, or risks related to consumer products provided by consumers, government agencies, child care providers, physicians, hospitals, coroners, first responders, or the media. The expanded authority given to state attorneys general (AGs) to enforce consumer product safety laws and stronger certification requirements also will continue to impact consumer product safety for years to come. NEMA supports restoring the CPSC to a five-member commission and strengthening the CPSC to enable the commission to fulfi ll its mission. NEMA will continue to engage the CPSC and Congress on the implementation of the CPSIA and issues important to electrical manufacturers. For more information on CPSIA, please visit www.cpsc.gov/about/ cpsia/cpsia.html. ei Sarah Owen | sarah.owen@nema.org › Few Disappointments as State Legislative Sessions Wind Down Economic downturn notwithstanding, 2009 was an extraordinarily eventful year for state legislative activity focused on the design and end-of-life management of electroindustry products. NEMA staff and member company representatives were directly engaged with legislators on approximately 30 bills addressing mercury issues alone. Various proposals involving product phase-outs, labeling requirements, procurement standards, and collection/recycling mandates were considered in states from Maine to Washington to Texas. Few passed and, with one exception, none contained provisions that NEMA opposed or unsuccessfully sought to amend. The most troublesome outcome for NEMA members occurred in Maine, where a joint committee decided to enact a mandate on manufacturers to implement and fund a lamp recycling program for mercury-added lamps used in households. This is a first-ofits-kind measure that every other state has so far rejected. Lawmakers decided it could be instituted without adversely affecting the price of energy-efficient lighting or imposing an undue burden on manufacturers. NEMA’s posits that Maine’s approach is the highest cost, least efficient way to nurture a recycling infrastructure for 4 NEMA electroindustry • August 09

August 09 ElectroIndustry

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 09 ElectroIndustry