April 13, 2015

Comment period closing April 15 2015 on Prohibition of Children's Toys and Child Care Articles Containing Specified Phthalates

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) comment period to permanently ban certain phthalates closes in a few days (April 15) unless they agree to extend the comment period. If your products contain any type of phthalates its a good idea to at least review this regulation and comment here. On December 30, 2014, the Commission published an Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) in the Federal Register proposing to prohibit children's toys and child care articles containing specified phthalates. (79 FR 78324). This was a well written article about the upcoming vote/issue.

Here is a refresher on whether your product might be at issue in this regulation:

Section 108(a) of the CPSIA permanently prohibits the manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribution in commerce, or importation into the United States of any ‘‘children’s toy or child care article’’ that contains concentrations of more than 0.1 percent of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), or butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP). Section 108(b)(1) of the CPSIA prohibits on an interim basis (i.e., until the Commission promulgates a final rule), the manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribution in commerce, or importation into the United States of ‘‘any children’s toy that can be placed in a child’s mouth’’ or ‘‘child care article’’ containing concentrations of more than 0.1 percent of diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), or di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP). The CPSIA defines a ‘‘children’s toy’’ as ‘‘a consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer for a child 12 years of age or younger for use by the child when the child plays.’’ Id. Section 108(g)(1)(B). A ‘‘child care article’’ is defined as ‘‘a consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep or the feeding of children age 3 and younger, or to help such children with sucking or teething.’’ Id. Section 108(g)(1)(C). A ‘‘toy can be placed in a child’s mouth if any part of the toy can actually be brought to the mouth and kept in the mouth by a child so that it can be sucked and chewed. If the children’s product can only be licked, it is not regarded as able to be placed in the mouth. If a toy or part of a toy in one dimension is smaller than 5 centimeters, it can be placed in the mouth.’’ Id. Section 108(g)(2)(B). These statutory prohibitions became effective in February 2009. The interim prohibitions remain in effect until the Commission issues a final rule determining whether to make the interim prohibitions permanent. Id. Section 108(b)(1).


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