New federal safety standard for infant bathtubs takes effect
October 6, 2017, Market Watch
A new federal mandatory safety standard aimed at helping to keep infants and toddlers from drowning while in infant bath tubs went into effect on October 2, 2017. This means that it is now illegal to sell infant bath tubs in the United States that were manufactured on or after that date, if they do not meet the new regulation. Parents and caregivers should purchase infant bath tubs that were manufactured on or after October 2, 2017. These bath tubs must meet the new federal safety standard.
Flame retardants targeted for SF ban
October 12, 2017, SF Bay
San Francisco is a step closer in banning the sales of upholstery furniture and children’s products with flame retardant chemicals after a Board of Supervisors committee moved the legislation to the full board with a positive recommendation.The legislation would not just apply to brick and mortar stores selling furniture or children’s products, but it would also apply to online sales of those same products.
Farewell to product safety
October 11, 2017, Detroit Metro Times
CPSC Commissioner Robinson, who was a highly esteemed trial lawyer in Detroit for years, fears the age of consumer protection is about to come to an end. Her term ends this month, and she’ll be gone as soon as the U.S. Senate confirms her replacement. That will give Republicans a 3-2 majority on the commission. Robinson understands that’s how the game is played; presidents fill vacant positions with members of their own parties. She focuses on the portable generator as a case study in how one industry responds to the regulatory framework.
California chemical warning rules cause headaches for promo firms
October 10, 2017, Advertising Specialty Institute
New chemical warning regulations for consumer products in California are drawing criticism from promotional product companies that assert they present onerous challenges and make companies vulnerable to lawsuits. While the new rules don’t take effect until August 30, 2018, promotional product companies are already grappling with them as they create catalogs for next year and prepare for the coming changes, which some industry pros panned as potentially detrimental to sales and ineffective at achieving their aim of educating and protecting consumers.
State joins ‘Children’s Environmental Health Day’ for stronger protections from harmful chemicals
October 12, 2017, Vermontbiz.com
Environmental health organizations, medical professionals, business leaders, and members of the public gathered today at the Vermont State House to highlight the day, and to call for stronger protections for Vermont children from harmful chemicals. “Despite the many successes and advancements in the field of children’s environmental health over the past few decades, today’s children face an epidemic of illness and chronic diseases linked to environmental exposures and our changing climate,” said Carol Westinghouse, President, Informed Green Solutions.
The School Synthetic-Turf Wars
October 12, 2017, The Atlantic
Towns are weighing the practicality of artificial fields against the potential health risks for the kids who play on them. More than 8,000 artificial-turf surfaces are currently in use across America, from youth sports fields to professional stadiums, according to the Synthetic Turf Council. The fields are durable, rain-resistant, and low-maintenance. But in recent years, some researchers have raised concerns about the safety of these surfaces and their infills, which are typically made from scrap tires. The federal government has commissioned a study to address the questions surrounding artificial turf, but results could be years away.
New standards for toys will hurt majority of retailers, says industry body
October 12, 1017, The Hindu
The apex body of retailers in the country, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said the government’s new standards for toys will severely hurt a majority of retailers. They seek a 12-16 month period in order to transition to the standard. The new norms, notified in September, specify that all imported toys should be tested locally and should comply with the standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the RAI said in a statement, adding that the norms were issued without consulting stakeholders.
China’s sustainable fashion paradox
October 11, 2017. Business of Fashion
According to Green Initiatives, a non-profit focused on environmental education and solutions in China, 53 percent of the world’s textile production waste comes from China, an estimated 70,000 tons every day, with 2.5 billion tonnes of polluted waste water produced annually. To combat this, the Chinese government’s 13th five-year plan for economic and social development, released in 2016, set a target of 4.5 million tons for recycled textile production by 2020. “Since the US has seemed to step away from that (Paris Agreement on Climate Change), China is really stepping to the forefront, which makes it a very interesting place to be right now,” says Michael Beutler, a sustaina
New state regulations allow robot cars on streets with no one at the wheel or even in the car
October 11, 2017, Sacramento Bee
California officials took a major step Wednesday toward allowing companies to test autonomous cars without anyone at the wheel or even in the vehicle, releasing a set of regulations on how those tests can be conducted. The state plans to take public comments over the next two weeks on the new regulations, and officials said the permitting process could be in place early next year.
Regulation and accountability more effective than ban on firecrackers
October 13, 2017, WION
Celebrating the American independence day with firecrackers is a time-old custom in the US. The writer witnessed student organizations, individuals, municipal corporations, military, all celebrating from the Pacific coast to New England, from the lake of Michigan to the hills of Tennessee. Contrast this with what the author experienced in the Delhi-NCR, where a huge civic protest against lenient environmental norms during festivals forced the hand of the government. The Supreme Court of India has imposed a ban on the sale of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR.
