81 FR 60298 - Petition To Amend Statement of Interpretation and Enforcement Policy Regarding Labeling of Household Products Containing Methylene Chloride; Request for Comments

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 170 (September 1, 2016)

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) received a petition requesting that the Commission amend the agency's 1987 Statement of Interpretation and Enforcement Policy regarding labeling of household products containing methylene chloride (Policy Statement). The petition asks the Commission to expand the Policy Statement to address acute hazards from inhalation of methylene chloride vapors in addition to the chronic hazards addressed by the current Policy Statement. The Commission invites written comments concerning the petition.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60298-60299]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20928]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Chapter II

[Docket No. CPSC-2016-0019]


Petition To Amend Statement of Interpretation and Enforcement 
Policy Regarding Labeling of Household Products Containing Methylene 
Chloride; Request for Comments

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice of petition.

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SUMMARY: The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or 
Commission) received a petition requesting that the Commission amend 
the agency's 1987 Statement of Interpretation and Enforcement Policy 
regarding labeling of household products containing methylene chloride 
(Policy Statement). The petition asks the Commission to expand the 
Policy Statement to address acute hazards from inhalation of methylene 
chloride vapors in addition to the chronic hazards addressed by the 
current Policy Statement. The Commission invites written comments 
concerning the petition.

DATES: The Office of the Secretary must receive comments on the 
petition by October 31, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2016-
0019, by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. The Commission does not accept 
comments submitted by electronic mail (email), except through 
www.regulations.gov. The Commission encourages you to submit electronic 
comments by using the Federal eRulemaking Portal, as described above.
    Written Submissions: Submit written submissions by mail/hand 
delivery/courier to: Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 
telephone (301) 504-7923.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this proposed rulemaking. All comments received 
may be posted without change, including any personal identifiers, 
contact information, or other personal information provided, to: http://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit confidential business information, 
trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information 
that you do not want to be available to the public. If furnished at 
all, such information should be submitted in writing.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to: http://www.regulations.gov, and insert the 
docket number, CPSC-2016-0019, into the ``Search'' box, and follow the 
prompts. A copy of the petition is available at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. CPSC-2016-0019, Supporting and 
Related Materials.

[[Page 60299]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Stevenson, Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820, 4330 East 
West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-6833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission received a petition from the 
Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, Inc. (Petitioner) requesting 
that the Commission amend the agency's Statement of Interpretation and 
Enforcement Policy regarding labeling of household products containing 
methylene chloride (Policy Statement). The Policy Statement provides 
the Commission's guidance for labeling of household products containing 
methylene chloride, focusing particularly on paint strippers. 52 FR 
34698 (Sep. 14, 1987). The Policy Statement sets forth general 
principles and examples for labeling to warn consumers of potential 
cancer hazards; it does not address acute hazards.
    The Petitioner asks the Commission to expand the Policy Statement 
to address acute hazards from inhalation of methylene chloride vapors. 
Petitioner notes that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
(OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) issued a Hazard Alert identifying at least 14 deaths associated 
with use of methylene chloride-containing paint strippers by 
professional bathtub refinishing operations (https://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/methylene_chloride_hazard_alert.html). Although the 
Petitioner refers to incidents involving workers, as the Commission's 
Policy Statement indicates, methylene chloride paint strippers are 
household products available for consumers to purchase and use. 
Petitioner asserts that revising the Policy Statement to give specific 
guidance on labeling for the acute hazard posed by inhalation of 
methylene chloride vapors, particularly when used in an enclosed space, 
such as when refinishing bathtubs, would help to prevent future 
fatalities.
    By this notice, the Commission seeks comments concerning this 
petition. Interested parties may obtain a copy of the petition from the 
Commission's Web site: http://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Rulemaking/Petitions/ or by writing or calling the Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820, 4330 East 
West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7923. A copy of 
the petition is also available for viewing under ``Supporting and 
Related Materials'' in: www.regulations.gov, under Docket No. CPSC-
2016-0019 .

    Dated: August 2, 2016.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2016-20928 Filed 8-31-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6355-01-P