At the request of the Center for Environmental Health, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has agreed to hold hearings to consider repealing or amending Proposition 65 regulations pertaining to the Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL) for lead. OEHHA will initiate a rulemaking effort to update the existing MADL for lead. A public hearing will be held October 9 at 10 a.m. in the Sierra Hearing Room at the CalEPA Headquarters building, 1001 I St., Sacramento. SGCDpro will monitor the issue closely on behalf of member companies.

In other Prop 65 news, the environmental group As You Sow has filed a 60-day notice against Soylent Green, a company that markets meal replacement kits. The company acknowledges its products exceed Proposition 65 safe harbor limits, but contends that since its products comply with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits, they are safe and this is simply a labeling issue. SGCDpro has engaged Prop 65 attorney and Deco speaker Carol Brophy to represent the industry at the hearing and prepare formal comments for submission.

Conflict Minerals Update

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) “conflict minerals” disclosure requirement constitutes a violation of the First Amendment. The court previously struck down the rule but agreed to reconsider the issue.

The SEC rule required companies to declare whether products containing certain minerals were “DRC conflict free.” In the majority opinion, Judge Raymond Randolph questioned whether the government offered more than speculation about the effect of such disclosures on conflict in the Congo, noting that the First Amendment requires more than speculation before speech can be compelled.

Call for Papers

SGCDpro is accepting papers for Deco ’16 in Baltimore, which will be held April 16-18. Companies or individuals interested in participating in the Saturday process session or the Monday session featuring new products and technology should contact me at (740) 588-9882. A few exhibit spaces also remain.

Deco ’18 Returns to Columbus

 The SGCDpro Board of Directors has signed a contract to return to the Hilton Easton in Columbus, Ohio, for Deco ’18, to be held April 7-9. The Board was encouraged by record attendance at the 2015 event.   

Any views or opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not represent those of Ceramic Industry, its staff, Editorial Advisory Board or BNP Media.