The EU has launched a public consultation on four substances (see Table 1) that have been proposed for addition as SVHCs to the REACH Candidate List.  The validation team for IEC 62474 is currently screening the four substances for potential applications in the electronic industry.  One of the substances, Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), was also proposed in the previous REACH consultation last fall, but was subsequently withdrawn by Sweden (the proponent). It’s now been re-submitted.

Table 1: Four Substances for Public Consultation

The deadline for submitting comments is April 14, 2016. The consultation is posted on the ECHA website.

California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has approved the adoption of the “Lead Agency Website” regulation (Section 25205). The regulation requires OEHHA to create a website providing information to the public on exposure to chemicals that require warning disclosure under Proposition 65. The regulation has been very controversial with industry, including several trade groups.

Under the Regulation, which takes effect on 1 April, 2016, a manufacturer, producer, distributor or importer of a product giving a Prop 65 warning will have to provide, within 90 days of the agency’s request:

• the name of the listed chemical(s) for which warning is given;
• the location of the chemical(s) in products that require warning under Prop 65;
• the concentration of the chemical(s) in these final products;
• anticipated routes or pathways of exposure to listed chemicals; and
• estimated levels of exposure to the chemical(s).

The regulation and additional information is available on the OEHHA website.

The European Commission has sent out WTO TBT notices for two RoHS exemptions.

The first exemptions is a new exemption for Cadmium anodes in Hersch cells

In Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU, the following point 43 is added:

“43. Cadmium anodes in Hersch cells for oxygen sensors used in industrial monitoring and control instruments, where sensitivity below 10 ppm is required. Expires on [OP, please insert, as concrete date, 7 years after the date of entry into force of this directive].,

The second exemption narrows the scope of the existing exemption Annex IV(26):

In Annex IV, point 26 is replaced by the following:

’26. Lead in the following applications that are used durably at a temperature below –20°C under normal operating and storage conditions:

– (a) solders on printed circuit boards;
– (b) termination coatings of electrical and electronic components and coatings of
printed circuit boards;
– (c) solders for connecting wires and cables;
– (d) solders connecting transducers and sensors.

Lead in solders of electrical connections to temperature measurement sensors in devices which are designed to be used periodically at temperatures below –150°C. These exemptions expire on 30 June 2021.’

On December 2, 2015, China published guidelines for responsible mineral supply chains. The guidelines were developed in cooperation between the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals Importers & Exporters (CCCMC) and the OECD. The guidelines align with the OECDs due diligence guidelines on conflict minerals and will initially be voluntary. The announcement of the guidelines was made at the 2015 International Workshop on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains held in Beijing, China.

Requirements of a Belgium regulation that requires manufacturers and importers to register chemical products containing nanomaterials came into effect starting January 1, 2016. Existing substances produced in nanoparticle state were to be registered by January 1, 2016. Manufacturers and importers of chemical mixtures containing a substance produced in a nanoparticle state have an additional year to register – until January 1, 2017. Additional information on the Belgium regulation and the registration process are available on the nanoregistry portal.