Manufacturers or distributors of certain children’s products that are sold in Maine will need to submit a report to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection by December 18, 2015. Products covered under this new reporting requirement are those that have the following compounds intentionally added: DEHP, DBP, BBP, DEP or formaldehyde. Maine’s legislation, Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Products, defines "Intentionally added chemical" as a chemical that was added during the manufacture of a product or product component to provide a specific characteristic, appearance or quality or to perform a specific function.
Other key definitions to determine if your product falls under this reporting requirement are as follows:
Clothing and footwear. “Clothing” means an article of cloth or fiber, woven or otherwise assembled, into a material suitable for wearing on the body of a child under the age of 12 years, and their component parts; examples include but are not limited to sleepwear, pants, shirts, and outerwear such as gloves, hats, or raingear. “Footwear” means an article intended to be worn on the feet of a child under the age of 12 years, such as shoes or slippers.
Building and home maintenance products. “Building and home maintenance products” means a children’s product used in the construction, repair, or maintenance of the inside of a residence, child care facility or school; or such products used for outdoor residential use, if a child under 12 years of age may have direct contact with the product
Household furniture and furnishings. “Household furniture and furnishings” means children’s products that are large, movable products used to make a space livable, including but not limited to beds, mattresses, couches, tables, desks, chairs, and storage units, and other children’s products intended for use as decorative accessories for a house or room, including but not limited to bedding, textiles, clocks, ornaments, pictures, mirrors and frames.
The DEP anticipates releasing report forms for those impacted manufacturers and distributors in the near future. SGIA will keep updating this page with additional information as it becomes available. Questions? Contact Marci Kinter at govtaffairs@sgia.org.