BETHESDA, MD – The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) plans to reopen Rule 1168 and the EPA’s continued efforts to seek information on consumer exposure to diisocyanates will be critical areas that the Adhesive and Sealant Council’s (ASC) government relations department will focus on in 2012. 

“The South Coast’s decision to reopen the regulation that sets volatile organic compound emissions for commercial adhesive and sealant applications could have a major impact on how members formulate their products,” said Mark Collatz, ASC’s Director of Government Relations. “Should the district decide to add new categories to the rule, companies that may never have had to deal with the rule could now be thrown into the mix. In addition, South Coast can be a bellwether for other California air districts, which might follow suit in revisiting their rules.”

The EPA issued Chemical Action Plans for methylenediphenyl diisocyanates (MDI) and toluene diisocyanates (TDI) in the spring of 2011. The plans serve as an outline for how the agency will ascertain the amount of exposure to MDI and TDI to consumers and self-employed workers and what steps might need to be taken to reduce such exposures. 

“ASC and some of its member companies have already established a communications dialogue with the agency’s staff, and we will be organizing an industry response to what we expect will be a formalized call for information by EPA later this year,” said Collatz. 

Other issues the council will be closely monitoring this year include the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) expected final rule aimed at reducing toxic chemicals from consumer products, Environment Canada’s second phase of Chemical Management Plan activities, protection of Confidential Business Information under TSCA, the OSHA Global Harmonization Standard Rule, and TSCA modernization legislation.