Implementation of 2016 amendments to the Children's Safe Products Act (CSPA) requires the Department of Health to develop a report for the legislature on certain flame retardant chemicals. The report must be developed with input from stakeholders and the Department of Ecology and contain policy options and recommendations The Flame Retardant Stakeholder Advisory Committee will assist with this effort.
Background
In 2016, the Washington State Legislature amended the Children's Safe Product Act to restrict five flame retardants in children's products and residential upholstered furniture. It also directed the Department of Health (Health) and the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to further evaluate six flame retardants and prepare a report with recommendations to the legislature. The report must be developed with stakeholder input.
Implementation of RCW 70A.430.050 is partly completed. In 2017, Ecology updated the reporting list of chemicals of high concern for children and determined that all six flame retardants met the listing criteria. In 2018, DOH will complete implementation by recruiting a stakeholder advisory committee and developing the report with their input.
Purpose of Flame Retardant Stakeholder Advisory Committee
The advisory committee will provide input on further evaluations of flame retardants listed as chemicals of high concern to children. The committee will also provide advice and expertise as we develop policy options for “reducing exposure, designating and developing safer substitutes, and restricting or prohibiting the use” of the six flame retardants chemicals: TPP, TCPP, TBPH, V6, IPTPP, and TBB.
Although it is not specifically required in the report, DOH will also consider including in the report, broader policy options that provide meaningful and practical protection of children, firefighters, and others from toxic chemical flame retardants in everyday products.
| Name | CAS# | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| Triphenyl phosphate | 115-86-6 | TPP |
| Tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate | 13674-84-5 | TCPP |
| Bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate | 26040-51-7 | TBPH |
| Bis (chloromethyl) propane-1,3-diyl tetrakis-(2-chloroethyl) bis(phosphate) | 38051-10-4 | V6 |
| Isopropylated triphenyl phosphate | 68937-41-7 | IPTPP |
| 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate | 183658-27-7 | TBB |
Flame Retardant Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meetings
Department of Health
Town Center 1, Rooms 163/164
101 Israel Road SE
Tumwater, Washington 98504 | Driving Directions
Meeting Dates and Material
June 15, 2018, 10 AM - 1 PM Pacific standard time
Presentations:
- Project Overview - Guiding Principals (PDF)
- Human Health Review - Six Flame Retardants (PDF)
- Product Testing and Consumer Exposure Fire Safety Considerations (PDF)
September 28, 2018, 10 AM - 2 PM Pacific standard time
Final Meeting Notes - open for stakeholder review
Presentations:
- Human Health Review - Six Flame Retardants (PDF)
- Washington Environmental Sampling Results (PDF)
- Ecological Effects of Flame Retardants (PDF)
- Safer Alternative Assessment (PDF)
- Firefighter Perspective (PDF)
- TSCA Pre-emption (PDF)
November 9, 2018, 10 AM - 2 PM Pacific standard time
Draft meeting notes Comments due by December 17, 2018
Presentations:
- Introduction to Meeting #3 (PDF)
- Healthy Building Network, FRs and Alternatives in Building Insulation
- Builder's Perspective on FRs and Alternatives in Building Insulation
- BEARHFTI - Recent CA Action on FRs in Furniture and Children's Products
- Recent Actions on FRs in Furniture and Children's Products
Reference Materials:
- Handout: Recent State Laws and Federal Actions (XLS)
- Healthy Building Network collaboration, Guide to Healthier Upgrade Materials, Sept 2018
- Flame retardants in building insulation: a case for reevaluating building codes
- 2018 California law restricting flame retardants in juvenile products, mattresses, or upholstered furniture, effective January 2020
- 2018 California proposed action on TB-133 (flammability of seating in areas of public occupancy)
- Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2017 action on non-polymeric additive organohalogen flame retardants in four product categories
- American Public Health Association, support for CPSC action
January 11, 2019, 10 AM - 2 PM Pacific standard time - FINAL Meeting If you are not attending the meeting in person, please sign up for the Webinar.
Presentations:
- Exposure science: Additive flame retardants in electronics and human exposure (PDF)
- Uses of additive flame retardants in electronics: Challenges of alternative approaches, current trends (PDF)
- The EPEAT label and additive flame retardants (PDF)
- TCO certified label and additive flame retardants (PDF)
- State purchasing contract for electronics (PDF)
Documents for Stakeholders
- Environmental Concentrations – Six Flame Retardants (PDF)
- Ecological Risk Assessment of Flame Retardants (PDF)
- TPP – Summary (PDF)
- TCPP – Summary (PDF)
- TBPH – Summary (PDF)
- V6 – Summary (PDF)
- IPTPP – Summary (PDF)
- TBB – Summary (PDF)
Stay Informed
Additional Background Information
- RCW 70.240.035 Certain flame retardant chemicals – Review – Stakeholder advisory committee – report
- Children's Safe Products Reporting Rule
- Ecology 2014, Flame Retardants – A Report to the Legislature
- PBDEs - Washington State Action Plan
- List of Chemicals of High Concern to Children (click on CAS number for summary)
- NIEHS fact sheet on flame retardants
- EPA Q&A consumer fact sheet on flame retardants
- EPA Reducing your child's exposure to flame retardant chemicals
Advisory Committee Members
- Vyto Babrauskas, PhD, Fire Science and Technology, Inc.
- Richard Henrich, Global Regulatory Compliance, LANXESS Solutions US Inc.
- Kimberly Bloor, Deputy State Fire Marshal, Washington State Patrol
- Andrea Carey, Biologist, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Gary Chandler, Vice President, Government Affairs, Association of Washington Businesses
- Kevin J. Delaney, Environmental Compliance Coordinator; Green Chemistry, Costco Wholesale
- Elizabeth Friedman, MD, Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington
- Andy Hackman, representing the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association
- A.J. Johnson, Legislative Liaison, Washington Council of Firefighters
- Joe Johnson, Senior Director, Cisco Environmental Affairs
- Chief Scott LaVielle, Washington Fire Chiefs Association
- Donald Lucas, PhD, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (retired)
- Brad Miller, Advocacy & Sustainability, BIFMA
- Cheri Peele, MCP, Senior Research Associate, Clean Production Action
- Heather Stapleton, PhD, Associate Professor, Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment
- Shirlee Tan, PhD, Toxicologist, Seattle-King County Public Health
- Joel Tenney, Director of Advocacy, ICL (Israel Chemicals Ltd)
- Heather Trim, PhD, Executive Director, Zero Waste Washington
- Laurie Valeriano, Executive Director, Toxic-Free Future
Contacts
- For meeting information, contact Mike Dexel, Project Coordinator 360-236-3011.
- For technical information, contact Barb Morrissey, Lead Toxicologist 360-236-3368