80 FR 12171 - Implementation of a New Label for the Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program and Supporting Modifications to the DfE Standard for Safer Products; Notice of Availability

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 44 (March 6, 2015)

EPA is making available a document that announces and implements several important changes to EPA's Safer Product Labeling Program (SPLP), as well as a number of conforming changes to the program's Standard for Safer Products, including: New label designs and a new name for the EPA SPLP; an associated fragrance-free label; and related changes to the standard that qualifies products for the label.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12171-12172]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05073]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0047; FRL-9922-69]


Implementation of a New Label for the Design for the Environment 
(DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program and Supporting Modifications to 
the DfE Standard for Safer Products; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is making available a document that announces and 
implements several important changes to EPA's Safer Product Labeling 
Program (SPLP), as well as a number of conforming changes to the 
program's Standard for Safer Products, including: New label designs and 
a new name for the EPA SPLP; an associated fragrance-free label; and 
related changes to the standard that qualifies products for the label.

[[Page 12172]]


DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 5, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0047, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    For technical information contact: David DiFiore, Chemistry, 
Economics and Sustainable Strategies Division, Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
202-564-8796; email address: [email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be affected by this action if you participate in or 
applying for certification under the DfE Safer Product Labeling Program 
and use or hope to use the program's logo on your products. Also 
potentially affected are consumers, institutional purchasers, 
retailers, and distributors of DfE-labeled products who use the logo to 
identify products that have met the Agency's safer-product criteria. 
The following list of North American Industrial Classification System 
(NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. 
Potentially affected entities may include:
     Manufacturing (NAICS codes 31-33).
     Construction (NAICS code 23).
     Wholesale trade (NAICS code 42).
     Retail trade (NAICS codes 44-45).
     Professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 
code 54).
     Accommodations and food Services (NAICS code 72).
     Other services, except public administration (NAICS code 
81).
     Public administration (NAICS code 92).

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the 
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or 
CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as 
CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the 
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one 
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as 
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information 
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

    EPA is issuing a document, ``Changes to the Standard to Implement 
the Safer Choice Label'' (https://wcms.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-02/documents/safer-choice-standard-changes.pdf), that implements a 
new label and name for the DfE Safer Product Labeling Program, namely, 
the EPA ``Safer Choice'' Program. The new label is available for 
immediate use to program partners. The Agency is also making new-label-
related changes to the program's standard that qualifies products for 
participation in the program. Finally, EPA is issuing a new, optional 
fragrance-free certification. The program has redesigned its label for 
several reasons: To better communicate the program's human health and 
environmental protection goals, increase consumer and institutional/
industrial purchaser understanding and recognition of products bearing 
the label, and encourage innovation and the development of safer 
chemicals and chemical-based products. While effective immediately, the 
Agency is requesting comment on the changes that are described in the 
referenced document (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0047), including the fragrance-
free certification, and may make further programmatic changes based on 
the comments received. Please note that the Agency has received 
extensive public input on the logo designs and is not requesting 
further comment on them.

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.

    Dated: February 11, 2015.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2015-05073 Filed 3-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P