CA adopts nation’s most stringent limits for consumer products

Landmark rule will reduce ozone and prevent the harmful emissions of airborne toxins

Today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted in favor of reducing the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—toxic, smog-forming emissions—from consumer and industrial products. Three toxic chemicals, perchloroethylene, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene, are now prohibited from use in multipurpose solvents and paint thinners.

“The Coalition for Clean Air applauds CARB for having seized the opportunity to set groundbreaking regulations that others can emulate elsewhere throughout the nation,” said Luis Cabrales, senior campaign associate. “Precedent-setting regulations such as these will supply consumers with the safer products they demand,” he added.

Nation’s tightest controls set

The new regulation, which will result in one of the state's largest reductions of VOCs from consumer products, sets a cap on airborne toxic emissions to 3 percent by 2013. At present, these products emit almost 100 percent of their content into the air. Today’s regulation of multipurpose solvents and paint thinners will eliminate more than 14 tons-per-day of VOCs when fully implemented in 2014.

From the front lines

Heriberta Sandoval, a grocery store cleaner for more than 15 years, shared this written testimony with board members: “On a daily basis, I have to use harsh chemicals to clean the store. These chemicals and cleaning products cause a lot of damage, sometimes corroding my shoes and clothes. My co-workers and I constantly get headaches, nose bleeds, eye irritations and burns to our hands. Some janitors have developed serious asthma and other breathing problems.”

A victory for CCA and Californians

The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA), concerned consumers and workers such as Heriberta are paving the way for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products to be regulated. CCA will continue pushing to demand industry limits of the toxic chemicals that contaminate our products.

Coalition for Clean Air