California mulls more chemical controls

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- California officials say sweeping new regulations will force product manufacturers to use alternative, safer chemicals or risk their products being banned.

The California Environmental Protection Agency is drafting the Safer Consumer Products regulations as part of its Green Chemistry Initiative, Law & Industry Daily's Web site legalnewsgroup.com reported Wednesday.

The regulations would establish a list of around 3,000 so-called "chemicals of concern" that includes carcinogens, mutagens, neurotoxins and compounds that disrupt hormones, officials said.

From the list, they said, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop a list of "priority projects" that require alternatives assessment by the manufacturer.

DTSC may require special product labeling, mandate producer responsibility programs and require a search for safer alternatives to a chemical.

Critics of the Green Chemistry Initiative argue the sweeping program could be a hardship on chemical companies and the wider manufacturing sector.

The draft SCP regulations would "create an uncertain regulatory environment that makes investing, innovating and doing business in California substantially riskier," the California Chamber of Commerce said in January.