RoHS is in the process of considering 18 new exmptions.  Most exemptions are lead in specific uses -- such as certain solders for certain applications.  Certain exemptions for cadmium may apply, and mercury as well.  Consultation period is now through March 20th, 2012.

EPA's releases new database with information about pollutants in American waterways. The general public now has unprecedented access to pollutant information -- who's polluting, where, when and what.  Have your risk management documentation ready.

Despite the tough landscape for industrial salaries, Environmental Risk Managers and Certified Industrial Hygienists are still making competitive salaries. We researched salaries in the U.S. for 2012 and here's what we found.

REACH regulation's Authorization List has had a population of 6 chemicals since December of 2010.  But get ready: 13 new chemicals have been named for the Authorization List and it looks likely most will make it.  Here are the named chemicals and their uses.

Looking for a List of Lists of Chemicals of Concern in US states?  NEWMOA is working hard to create a dynamic, accessible and accurate list of lists.  So far so good, their portal includes lists from Maine, Minnesota and Washington.

Here are the most clicked-on stories by Actio Network readers in 2011.  This helpful recap consolidates the key regulatory shifts of last year so we can start 2012 on solid footing.  We hope you find this recap useful -- and happy new year, everybody!

REACH regulation swells with 20 new substances added today to the Candidate List, for a total of 73.  One of the newly-restricted substances is an endocrine disrupting chemical -- so others, such as BPA, could be next.  Also notable: 8 of the 20 new chemicals listed did not go through a comment period but instead went straight onto the Candidate List.

Looks like things are happening faster as REACH gets rolling.  Here's what you need to know now.

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved three new, "greener" refrigerant chemicals.  These are cleared to replace chlorofluorocarbon and hydrochlorofluorocarbon in cooling and freezing appliances for both commercial and residential uses.

As FDA openly hunts for sourcing and chemical-ingredient data in the food supply chain, BPA in food packaging is the larger, weaker member of the herd and a likely lunch. FDA says it will announce as soon as March 2012 whether to ban BPA in boxes, baggies and other packaging that touches food.

The RoHS Recast, also called RoHS 2, is neither.  It is just plain RoHS.  The key thing to know is that some EU countries will update the law early in 2012, some will wait until late 2012.  Policy & legal implementations being unpredictable, the path of least risk is to reassess RoHS compliance in Q1 2012.  Here's what you need to know now, and how to get started.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced changes to the Clean Air Act emission standards.  The changes only affect less than 1% of industrial boilers and incinerators, but if it affects your business or in some cases your suppliers, here's what you need to know.

Canada has significant toxic chemical laws and restrictions -- here's an overview.

Today the EPA hosts online training to further explain the amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) around reporting chemical use, inventory and import in 2012.  This is a significant update to TSCA and should be duly noted by compliance personnel. 

TCE is a man-made chemical that's associated with a sixfold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, says new Annals of Neurology study; exposure to a chemical similar to TCE, known as PERC, is associated with a tenfold  increased risk of Parkinson's.

ECHA announces that altogether 5181 substances have been registered as of November 3, 2011.

Last Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the reinstatement of reporting requirements for hydrogen sulfide. This action will be effective for the 2012 TRI reporting year.

Shazbutt:  On October 20, 2011 the US Federal Government released a national strategy for ensuring that environmental, health, and safety research needs are fully identified and addressed in the fast-growing field of nanotechnology.

The law known as California Prop 65 is a list of chemicals known to be toxic or cause reproductive harm.   This post contains a current list of chemicals on the Prop 65 list in PDF form, downloadable for your files.

Ch-ch-chain, chain of foods:  FDA is looking for a system that will allow them to quickly connect the dots along the food supply chain, say insiders.  “What we’re looking for is a system that is practical, feasible, and rapid,” says Sherri McGarry, senior advisor in FDA’s Office of Foods.  Cha-ching? 

As it stands today, no comprehensive set of national standards exists for the disposal of wastewater discharged from natural gas extraction activities.  EPA says it will begin the process of developing a proposed wastewater standard for fracking.  The process is expected to take months.

The next REACH regulation deadline of very high concern (DVHC) is in May 2012. As the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launches a campaign to remind industry to start preparing for the second major REACH registration deadline in 2013, we put together a few guidelines on how to prepare and what you need to know.

You may think your favorite blogger is independent.  But a company like SAP has over 8,000 bloggers in its social media sphere who work daily to push out the latest SAP message, and only 30% of those are technically SAP employees. 

Google is taking green building and green building materials very seriously when procuring their over 11 million square feet of office space.  Their questions become industry's questions:  what's in that carpet?  What's in that flooring?  What's in those electronic locks?  Will it offgas?  What about disposal?  Is there a cleaner, greener option?

The newly published ISO 14006:2011 gives businesses a format for "ecodesign," which means designing products for ecological well-being.  The new ISO standard aims for companies who either employ or hope to employ Environmental Management Systems and Quality Management Systems.

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act will bring audits of your supply chain practices to a new level, effective January 1, 2012.  The State of California passed this human trafficking law last year -- the fine print demands disclosure requirements that affect anyone doing business in California. 

Straight up: US presidential hopefuls, including the incumbent, are now looking to Lean Six Sigma management tools for solutions to inefficiencies in governmental organizations -- which brings up related points in manufacturing.  A new, related survey of over 2500 Quality professionals supplies new material to consider.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an allocation of $38 million over three years for projects to accelerate the development of promising geothermal energy technologies and help diversify America's sources of clean, renewable energy.

Overall, current roles and responsibilities for suppliers, employers and workers will not change in WHMIS after GHS, but there are some subtle changes to look out for.

The ACC -- the world's most powerful chemical industry association -- today proposed a chemical prioritization system that it believes could be used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine which chemicals warrant additional review and assessment.  Conflict of interest?  Maybe not.

ECHA announces three (3) new restriction proposals for NPs and NPEs under REACH, with expected submission dates in 2012.  Sweden proposed the intentions, which brings the total number of current "restriction intended" substances to 15.  View or download the list of REACH restriction intentions here.

Products such as Kix cereal, Wesson Oil and Pam cooking spray say "All Natural" on the label -- but there is confusion around what that means, exactly.  While it shouldn't surprise anyone that Kix or Pam didn't sprout from the ground in the form that it's in, it may be time for a review of compliance parameters for "All Natural" labeling.  One of the biggest concerns lately is whether "All Natural" products should or should not be allowed to contain genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

Is the scope of REACH regulation too broad?  How is ECHA doing?  Are chemical test method costs and expenditures under REACH reasonable?  Should there be modifications to lower tonnage substances?  This year, REACH turns five since its adoption, and these questions are part of the celebratory review.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) just announced amended safety procedures for nuclear plants in hurricane conditions. Just in time for Hurricane Irene 2011.  Plant licensees may need to sequester site personnel well in advance of actual hurricane conditions: ~150 personnel for single unit plants and ~250 for dual unit. (more)

EPA issued the Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule which requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) data and other relevant information from large sources and suppliers in the US (Rule # 74 FR 56260).  All who are required to report should do so right away, even if the August 1 deadline passed you by -- a "good faith" extension is likely.

Google paid $12 billion for a "bristling" Android supply chain.  What Google really got was not just the logistics but something also called "supply chain insurance."  Here we take a look at Motorola's probably-not-coincidental track record of supplier material disclosure practices.

Newsbyte:  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded contracts to four American companies for testing of up to 10,000 chemicals for potential toxicity to people and the environment.  The four companies are Vala Sciences, Cee Tox, CellzDirect and BioReliance.  The funds come from EPA's ToxCast chemical screening program.

OSHA enhances whistleblower campaign for more enforcement, fewer backlogged appeals, and more timely issue resolution.  And there's a theme here:  remember last year when EPA asked employees and workers to report unsafe chemicals in teh workplace?  It's like that.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today began a dialogue about Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, a  chemical in many plastic coatings such as those used in food can liners, cash register receipts, and serving bowls and utensils.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes an electronics stewardship announcement alongside Sprint, Dell and Sony executives: the new measure tackles electronics recycling and used electronics export. Electronics stewardship initiatives affect most industries, because almost every product either a) contains electronic components or b) electronic machinery is required in production.

As of today, a new legal framework in the European Union will replace the old Toy Safety Directive of 1988.  The new directive addresses a wide range of issues -- the intention is to mitigate risk of health hazards or injury for children.

It was the best of glymes, it was the worst of glymes....  Actually, it was the "worst" of glymes that caught the spotlight this week, when EPA announced intentions to review 14 glymes.  Here's a list of the 14 chemicals in question and how it affects you (or not).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new air pollution standards that would affect large commercial aircraft -- including 737s, 747s, and 767s.  If adopted in the United States, the new aircraft emission standards would be phased in over the next two years, applying to all new engines in 2013.

To be an Accredited Stakeholder in the eyes of the European Chemicals Agency or ECHA, you need four things: EU roots, ECHA ties, competence in your field, and non-profit status.  Your registration in Transparency database is required if you plan to participate in Committee and Forum meetings.

Yesterday, ECHA published a great document for those interested in a high-level summary of their obligations under REACH.  It's an updated Guidance in a Nutshell on Requirements for Substances in Articles.

Tweet   U.S. FDA announced updated Guidance for nanotechnology-related regulatory compliance.  Nanotech is of interest to the FDA because of its use in cosmetics, food and for medical purposes.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released two databases — the Toxicity Forecaster database (ToxCastDB) and a database of chemical exposure studies (ExpoCastDB).  These databanks represents milestones in the path to Material Disclosure.

The PaperPhone is coming: it's flat like paper, you can fold back a corner, store it with your Ben Franklins, or fold it up like a swan.  And it's a telephone.  But there are still a few issues.  For one, how should we regulate its manufacture and disposal?

US manufacturing says farewell to the closed kimono approach to chemical management as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveals the identities of over 150 compounds which were previously considered 'trade secret.'   It appears Chemical Transparency is here to stay.

Industry and EPA agree to some extent that companies may have overused need-for-confidentiality assertions to protect chemical identity and formulas.  Yet, the chemical industry says that *some* protection is needed to protect a competitive market.

Would a RoHS by any other name smell as sweet?  We'll find out.  On May 27, the update to the regulatory heavyweight RoHS directive -- update is known as the RoHS Recast -- was made official across the European Union.