On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. The Build America, Buy America Act (BABA), establishing a domestic content procurement requirement for iron and steel products, manufactured products, and construction materials for infrastructure projects receiving Federal financial assistance, was incorporated into IIJA. Read More…
With regulators expressing increased concerns about the safety of biocides in products, several biocides are being restricted in ways that limit paint and coatings formulators with options for reformulation and/or limit the types of claims that can be made on a product label. ACA notes such developments in Canada and the EU. The US has also released several draft risk assessments that could have a similar impact. ACA notes the importance of coordinating an advocacy approach within the US and at the international level. Read More…
ACA is engaged with legislative advocacy with advice and direction of its Legislative and Government Affairs Committee and Product Stewardship Committee. ACA has submitted comments to Maine DEP and has met with Maine DEP to discuss its process and requirements for granting extensions, common barriers to reporting of the paint and coatings and industry and the department’s plans for issuing final rules. ACA is currently engaging state agencies regarding CUU (Currently Unavoidable Use) designations. ACA will comment on proposed implementing rules and advocate for legislation to amend the underlying act. Read More…
A European policy document Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Towards a Toxic-Free Environment, published to elaborate goals in the European Green Deal, would further extend a hazard-based approach to removing chemicals from the European marketplace. The policy will be implemented in Europe over the next 2-5 years. It is expected to remove certain products from the market, initially focusing on endocrine disruptors and PFAS. Companies will also see increased barriers to market entry with changes to both the CLP and REACH regulations. Europe will engage with countries and international institutions to encourage global proliferation of its hazard-based approach to managing chemical products. As of April 2024, the EU finalized changes to its CLP Regulation requiring updates to product labels. The changes are a first step towards restricting chemicals based on hazard classification and include new classification and hazard communication requirements. The commission will further develop changes to restriction procedures during 2024 by developing amendments to REACH. Read More…
EPA is now publishing proposed risk mitigation strategies for several of the first 10 chemicals evaluated under TSCA, resulting in stringent workplace control measures and bans of most uses. EPA also finalized reporting rules for PFAS and asbestos, while finalizing rules related to claiming and substantiating confidentiality under TSCA. EPA also proposed rules related to data requirements for new chemical review. Read More…