Bill Text: NY S02515 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Restricts the use of decabromodiphenyl ether in certain products.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-10 - RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN [S02515 Detail]
Download: New_York-2009-S02515-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2515
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 23, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sen. THOMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conversation law, in relation to
restricting the use of certain ethers in certain products
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Section 37-0101 of the environmental conservation law is
2 amended by adding two new subdivisions 7 and 8 to read as follows:
3 7. "COVERED ELECTRONIC DEVICE" MEANS A DESKTOP OR PERSONAL COMPUTER,
4 COMPUTER MONITOR, PORTABLE COMPUTER, CATHODE RAY TUBE BASED TELEVISION
5 OR A TELEVISION THAT IS NOT CATHODE RAY TUBE BASED.
6 8. "DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER" MEANS THE CHEMICAL MIXTURE PREDOMINATELY
7 COMPRISED OF DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER, AND INCLUDING ASSOCIATED POLYBRO-
8 MINATED DIPHENYL ETHER IMPURITIES NOT INTENTIONALLY ADDED.
9 S 2. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new
10 section 37-0113 to read as follows:
11 S 37-0113. RESTRICTION OF DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER IN ELECTRONICS AND
12 TEXTILES.
13 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES ALL OF THE
14 FOLLOWING: POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS (PBDES) HAVE BEEN USED EXTEN-
15 SIVELY AS FLAME RETARDANTS IN A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMON HOUSEHOLD
16 PRODUCTS FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS. STUDIES ON ANIMALS SHOW THAT PBDES
17 CAN IMPACT THE DEVELOPING BRAIN, AFFECTING BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING AFTER
18 BIRTH AND INTO ADULTHOOD, MAKING EXPOSURE TO FETUSES AND CHILDREN A
19 PARTICULAR CONCERN. LEVELS OF PBDES ARE INCREASING IN PEOPLE, AND IN THE
20 ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY IN NORTH AMERICA. BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN BE
21 EXPOSED TO THESE CHEMICALS THROUGH HOUSE DUST AND INDOOR AIR AS WELL AS
22 THROUGH FOOD, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PHASE OUT THEIR USE IN COMMON HOUSEHOLD
23 PRODUCTS, PROVIDED THAT EFFECTIVE FLAME RETARDANTS THAT ARE SAFER AND
24 TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE ARE AVAILABLE AT A REASONABLE COST.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08804-01-9
S. 2515 2
1 2. PROHIBITION. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS
2 SECTION, ON AND AFTER JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWELVE, A PERSON MAY NOT
3 MANUFACTURE, PROCESS, OR DISTRIBUTE IN COMMERCE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
4 PRODUCTS IF THEY CONTAIN COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER:
5 A. COVERED ELECTRONIC DEVICES;
6 B. UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE OR TEXTILES INTENDED FOR INDOOR USE IN A HOME
7 OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY; OR
8 C. MATTRESSES AND MATTRESS PADS.
9 3. EXEMPTION. THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS CONTAINING POLYBROMINATED DIPHE-
10 NYL ETHERS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS
11 SECTION:
12 A. ANY USED TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE WITH COMPONENT PARTS CONTAINING
13 POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS;
14 B. ANY USED TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE PARTS OR NEW TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE
15 PARTS MANUFACTURED BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN;
16 C. EQUIPMENT USED PRIMARILY FOR MILITARY OR FEDERALLY FUNDED SPACE
17 PROGRAM APPLICATIONS. THIS EXEMPTION DOES NOT COVER CONSUMER-BASED GOODS
18 WITH BROAD APPLICABILITY;
19 D. ANY USED PRODUCT SOLD OR DISTRIBUTED BY A BUSINESS, CHARITY, OR
20 PRIVATE PARTY; AND
21 E. MEDICAL DEVICES.
22 4. RETAILERS IN POSSESSION. IN-STATE RETAILERS IN POSSESSION OF
23 PRODUCTS ON JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWELVE, THAT ARE BANNED FOR SALE
24 UNDER SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION MAY EXHAUST THEIR STOCK THROUGH
25 SALES TO THE PUBLIC. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL RESTRICT THE ABILITY
26 OF A MANUFACTURER, IMPORTER, OR DISTRIBUTOR FROM TRANSPORTING PRODUCTS
27 CONTAINING POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, OR STOR-
28 ING SUCH PRODUCTS IN THE STATE FOR LATER DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE THE STATE.
29 5. ONGOING REVIEW OF AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATIVES TO DECABROMODIPHENYL
30 ETHER. AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS, THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER
31 OF HEALTH SHALL REVIEW USES OF COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER, AVAI-
32 LIBILITY OF TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVES, AND ANY NEW EVIDENCE
33 REGARDING THE POTENTIAL HARM TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT POSED
34 BY COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER. SUCH COMMISSIONERS SHALL MAKE
35 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ADDITIONAL BANS AND RESTRICTIONS
36 TO REDUCE AND PHASE OUT THE MANUFACTURE, SALE, OR DISTRIBUTION OF
37 NONCOMBUSTIBLE PRODUCTS CONTAINING COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER.
38 THE COMMISSIONERS SHALL REPORT THEIR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE
39 APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF THE LEGISLATURE NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST,
40 TWO THOUSAND TWELVE, AND EVERY TWO YEARS AFTER SUCH DATE.
41 A. THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO PARTICIPATE IN A REGIONAL OR
42 NATIONAL MULTISTATE CLEARINGHOUSE TO ASSIST IN CARRYING OUT THE REQUIRE-
43 MENTS OF THIS SECTION. THE CLEARINGHOUSE IS AUTHORIZED TO MAINTAIN
44 INFORMATION ON BEHALF OF NEW YORK, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
45 (1) A LIST OF ALL PRODUCTS CONTAINING POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS;
46 AND
47 (2) INFORMATION ON ALL EXEMPTIONS GRANTED BY THE STATE.
48 B. BY JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE
49 OF GENERAL SERVICES SHALL GIVE PRIORITY AND PREFERENCE TO THE PURCHASE
50 OF EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND OTHER PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN DECABRO-
51 MODIPHENYL ETHERS.
52 6. ADDITIONAL EXEMPTIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIFIC EXEMPTIONS UNDER
53 SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, A MANUFACTURER OR USER OF A PRODUCT
54 PROHIBITED FROM MANUFACTURE, SALE, OR DISTRIBUTION UNDER SUCH SUBDIVI-
55 SION MAY APPLY FOR AN EXEMPTION FOR A SPECIFIC USE OF COMMERCIAL DECA-
56 BROMODIPHENYL ETHER BY FILING A WRITTEN PETITION WITH THE COMMISSIONER.
S. 2515 3
1 THE COMMISSIONER MAY GRANT AN EXEMPTION FOR A TERM NOT TO EXCEED TWO
2 YEARS. THE EXEMPTION SHALL BE RENEWABLE UPON WRITTEN APPLICATION IF THE
3 SPECIFIC USE OF COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER CONTINUES TO MEET THE
4 CRITERIA OF THIS SECTION AND THE MANUFACTURER OR OTHER PERSONS COMPLY
5 WITH THE CONDITIONS OF ITS ORIGINAL APPROVAL. THE COMMISSIONER MAY GRANT
6 AN EXEMPTION FOR A SPECIFIC USE OF COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER,
7 WITH OR WITHOUT CONDITIONS, UPON FINDING THAT THE APPLICANT HAS DEMON-
8 STRATED:
9 A. A TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT REASONABLE
10 COST; OR
11 B. THE POTENTIAL HARM TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT DIRECTLY
12 POSED BY A TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE AND AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVE IS GREATER
13 THAN THE POTENTIAL HARM POSED BY COMMERCIAL DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER.
14 7. LABELING AND POSITIVE RECOGNITION. THE COMMISSIONER MAY ESTABLISH A
15 "PBDE-FREE" PRODUCT LABELING PROGRAM FOR PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN
16 POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS. THE COMMISSIONER MAY ESTABLISH PARTNER-
17 SHIPS WITH MANUFACTURERS OF POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS TO ENHANCE
18 THE MARKET FOR PRODUCTS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL
19 ETHERS AND REDUCE THE USE OF POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS IN PRODUCTS.
20 THE COMMISSIONER MAY DEVELOP AN AWARDS PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOM-
21 PLISHMENTS OF MANUFACTURERS WHO EXCEED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION
22 AND WHO EXCEL AT REDUCING OR ELIMINATING DECABROMODIPHENYL ETHER IN
23 PRODUCTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
24 8. PENALTIES. A MANUFACTURER WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT TO A
25 CIVIL PENALTY NOT TO EXCEED ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH VIOLATION IN
26 THE CASE OF A FIRST OFFENSE. A MANUFACTURER IS SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENAL-
27 TY NOT TO EXCEED FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH REPEAT OFFENSE. PENAL-
28 TIES COLLECTED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE USED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO
29 IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE THIS SECTION.
30 S 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.
