CARB Consumer Product Regulation Public Workshop

California Air Resources Board sent this bulletin at 10/18/2019 11:08 AM PDT

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CARB Consumer Product Regulation Public Workshop

Opportunity for Public Input on Possible VOC Emission Reduction Strategies

CARB invites you to participate in the second public workshop to discuss development of proposed California Consumer Products Regulation (Regulation) amendments. Over the past 30 years, CARB has taken actions to reduce smog-forming volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from over 100 categories of consumer products. Despite this progress, consumer product emissions are projected to increase in the years ahead as California’s population continues to grow.

The 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan requires CARB to develop measures to reduce consumer product VOC emissions in the South Coast Air Basin by 1-2 tons per day (tpd) and 4-5 tpd by 2023 and 2031, respectively; and by 8-10 tpd by 2031 Statewide. At this workshop, CARB staff will propose to meet these SIP commitments via two amendments to the Regulation. The first, to be developed over the next year and considered by the Board by the end of 2020, would identify strategies to meet CARB’s 2023 emission reduction targets, and make a down payment on the required CARB’s 2031 emission reductions. The second regulatory amendments would propose additional strategies needed for California to meet remaining consumer product 2031 emission reduction targets, and would be considered by the Board in late 2021.

At this public workshop, CARB staff will present: 1) this proposed regulatory approach; 2) staff’s initial draft regulatory strategies for the first, 2023-focused rulemaking; 3) potential modifications to the Regulation’s fragrance exemption; and 4) product categories likely to be deferred for consideration at the subsequent, 2031-focused rulemaking.

The workshop will be held at the date and time shown below.

DATE: November 7, 2019
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: California Environmental Protection Agency
California Air Resources Board | Byron Sher Auditorium
1001 I Street Sacramento, California 95814

Those unable to attend in person also have the option to participate by webinar.

Register

Background

Ozone, the main ingredient of smog, continues to threaten the health of many Californians. Deodorants, hair spray, cleaning products, spray paint, and insecticides are examples of common consumer products made with ozone-forming chemicals known as VOCs. Although each product only contains a small amount of VOCs, Californians use over half a billion of these items every year. CARB works with industry and other stakeholders to develop requirements that achieve the maximum feasible VOC emission reduction while making sure that the regulations are technologically and commercially feasible and do not eliminate a product form. Today, standards that reduce VOCs have been established for over 100 categories, but further reductions are still needed to ensure clean, healthy air for all Californians.

This second public workshop will explore possible Consumer Product Regulation amendments needed to achieve additional emission reductions, and opportunities to improve program implementation. Since the kickoff public workshop on April 12, 2019, CARB staff has convened two public work groups related to these regulatory amendments – a Regulatory Strategies Work Group, which has convened 14 times, and a Regulatory Definitions Work Group, which has met twice thus far. Dozens of product manufacturers, formulators, and other stakeholders have also met with CARB staff to discuss opportunities to further reduce emissions from consumer products and to maximize program effectiveness. At this public workshop, CARB staff looks forward to continuing this dialogue with interested stakeholders regarding potential consumer product emission reduction strategies and regulatory updates.

Materials for this workshop, including a meeting agenda, will be posted to our program website prior to the workshop:

If you have any questions about this workshop or wish to receive e-mail notification of updates on CARB's Consumer Products Program, please contact Mr. Josh Berghouse at (916) 324-8174. We look forward to your participation in this public workshop and development of Consumer Product Regulation amendments.