In the News: February 6, 2023

Heating Up: Bipartisan Duo Manchin And Cruz Pitch Bill To Defend Gas Stoves
January 2, 2023, NBC News
A new bipartisan duo is diving in to defend gas stoves. Senate Energy Committee Chairman Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the new ranking member of the Commerce Committee, are teaming up on legislation that would bar the Consumer Product Safety Commission from using federal funding to ban new or existing gas stoves. Specifically, the two-page Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act would prevent the commission from using federal funds to regulate an existing gas stove as a “banned hazardous product” or to impose or enforce any consumer product safety standard or rule that would result in prohibiting the use or sale of gas stoves or hiking their average price in the U.S.

Gas Stoves Back Under Scrutiny With New US Limits Proposed
February 2, 2023, Bloomberg Law News
Gas stoves are coming under fresh scrutiny as a second federal agency has now stepped into the political firestorm with a proposal for new regulations for the appliances. The Energy Department proposal sets first-of-their-kind limits on energy consumption for the stoves, drawing fear from the industry that the regulation could effectively end the use of some products from the market. The proposal also sets energy usage standards for electric cook tops and new standards for both gas and electric ovens. The move comes just weeks after an official with the Consumer Product Safety Commission floated the idea of a ban, igniting criticism from the gas industry and from lawmakers.

When You’re Doubting Your Leadership — And Others Are, Too
February 2, 2023, Harvard Business Review
When you believe you aren’t doing well as a leader and others are sharing feedback in line with this view, it can be overwhelming. In this piece, the author offers practical steps you can take if you’re in need of a comeback. By focusing on self-reflection, enlisting support, and thoughtfully examining your role within the company, you’ll be able to determine your next steps and how you need to grow as a leader.

CPSC Urges Vigilance During Winter Storms
February 1, 2023, Yahoo
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers in the path of severe winter storms to take steps to protect themselves from carbon monoxide poisoning and fires. The storms are bringing below-freezing temperatures, dangerous wind chills, snow and ice that could lead to power outages and use of portable generators. Portable generators create a risk of CO poisoning that can kill in minutes. An average of 85 consumers die in the U.S. each year from CO poisoning from portable generators.

Cooley Partner Recognized For Leadership In Consumer Product Health And Safety
February 1, 2023, Cooley.com
The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) has recognized Cooley partner Rod Freeman as its 2023 Ross Koeser Achievement Award recipient. As a London-based ICPHSO volunteer and board member, Freeman has provided the organization with opportunities to move beyond North America and into other global locations. Freeman is the first Ross Koeser Achievement Award recipient outside North America.

EU: Product Piracy Threatening Small, Medium Sized Companies
January 31, 2023, Real News Magazine
Trade in counterfeit goods and pirated copies is increasingly causing problems for small and medium-sized businesses, with some unable to survive, according to a European Union watchdog. Intellectual property rights violations reduce the survival chances of smaller and mid-sized businesses by 34 per cent. This is according to a study published by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

These Everyday Items Endanger The Environment. Here’s How To Handle Them.
January 31, 2023, Washington Post
They light our rooms, color our walls, clean our surfaces and power our electronics. Products that can be potentially hazardous to humans and animals are lurking in basements, stored under sinks and cloistered in closets — often because people simply don’t know how to get rid of them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s imperative to keep products that contain harmful chemicals or unsafe metals out of the municipal waste stream where they can be a danger to the community and the environment. 

Dozens Of Types Of Mugs, Houseware Items Listed In Health Canada Recall
February 1, 2023, CTV
Health Canada is encouraging Canadians to check their cupboards and kitchen tables as the agency has recalled more than 30 types of Indigo-branded items including ceramic mugs, mug ornaments and houseware products due to potential mold contamination. In a recall alert posted to its website Tuesday, the agency states that the selected Indigo products may have been subject to “humid conditions” that could have caused mold to be present under the glazed surfaces of the products.

New York Lawmakers Consider Infant Product Safety Bans
February 3, 2023, Spectrum 1
New York lawmakers are weighing a state ban on the sale of several infant products, pointing to studies that have linked them to serious injuries and deaths. Lawmakers on the Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee announced a legislative package that includes a ban on the sale of infant walkers in the state. A similar measure would ban the sale of infant loungers in New York. Lawmakers cited a study by the American Council of Pediatrics that found a risk of serious injury or death from the use of infant walkers. A Consumer Product Safety Commission report found at least eight deaths that have been linked to the use of infant loungers. 

Minnesota House Panel Considers 3 Bills That Would Strictly Regulate ‘Forever Chemicals
January 31, 2023, Minnesota Reformer
A Minnesota House panel took up three bills that would more strictly regulate a group of chemicals that have been made by Maplewood-based 3M since the 1950s. In late December, 3M announced plans to stop making per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and stop using the chemicals in its products by the end of 2025. Other companies still make the chemicals. One bill would ban the chemicals in firefighting foam. Another would require manufacturers that sell products with PFAS in Minnesota to disclose that to the state. A third would ban the chemicals in children’s products.