Upcoming Event: OEHHA Hazard Trait Regulations

Posted on Aug 19, 2010 | Comments (0)

A critical part of the Green Chemistry Initiative is identifying what kind of information is required to go into the Toxic Information Clearinghouse required by SB 509. The Green Chemistry Initiative laws require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to identify these hazard traits – things like whether a chemical is a carcinogen or a reproductive toxin; is it toxic to wildlife or is it dangerous because of how we are exposed to it?  These hazard traits will also be used to assess safer products in the Safer Product Regulations being developed by the Department of Toxics Substances Control. A draft of proposed regulations has been issued by OEHHA (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment), which will look specifically at hazard traits, environmental and toxicological end-points, and other relevant data. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will then use information from the clearinghouse to help identify chemicals of concern in consumer products to make California a safer community.

OEHHA will be holding a workshop to get public comment concerning these regulations on Monday August 23, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Klamath Room at the Cal/EPA Headquarters Building at 1001 I Street in Sacramento, second floor.

OEHHA has already developed pre-regulatory draft language that: identifies and defines the hazard traits, lists general categories of endpoints and other relevant data for each toxicological and environmental hazard trait, provides general methods for determining whether or not a chemical has a toxicological hazard trait, and provides specific methods for determining whether or not a chemical has carcinogenicity, developmental toxicity or reproductive toxicity hazard traits.

More information on this workshop can be found at OEHHA’s website. Information on how to get to the meeting facility can be found at http://calepa.ca.gov/EPABldg/location.htm. If you have special accommodation or language needs, or for any other questions, comments, or concerns regarding this meeting, please contact Fran Kammerer at (916) 445-4693 or send an e-mail to fkammerer@oehha.ca.gov.