May 26, 2010
The proposed amendments include: ALDE amendment 197 from MEP Chris Davies; ALDE and EPP amendment 200 from MEPs Holger Krahmer and Anja Weigerber; EPP amendments 198 from MEP Boguslaw Sonik, 199 from MEP Sergio Berlato, 201 from MEP Christofer Fjellner, and 204 from MEPs Françoise Grossetête and Catherine Soullie; EFD amendment 202 from MEP Oreste Rossi; and ECR amendment 203 from MEP Julie Girling.
"While supporting amendments 197 through 203, IPC has taken exception to other proposed RoHS amendments that would ban all brominated flame retardants (BFRs) without a scientific evaluation because they will provide neither environmental nor human health benefits," says Fern Abrams, IPC director of environmental policy and government relations.
Abrams pointed out that while some BFRs, such as Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs), have been identified as toxic, restricted under the RoHS Directive, and voluntarily withdrawn from the market, other BFRs, such as Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), have been safely used in electronic products for decades. The World Health Organization and the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) conducted separate, comprehensive scientific assessments of TBBPA and both groups found TBBPA to be safe for human health and the environment.
Furthermore Abrams said, "support for the removal of BFRs based on concerns about dioxin formation during incomplete, unregulated burning outside of the European Union also fails scientific analysis, in that it will do nothing to address the formation of highly carcinogenic and persistent polyaromatic hydrocarbons that are generated in any incomplete combustion process, regardless of whether the electronics contain BFRs. A real solution to poor end-of-life practices would be to set and enforce standards ensuring use of protective end-of-life management practices including recycling and modern, controlled incineration where recycling is not feasible."
Abrams explains that a report recently published by Chemsec only focuses on the technical feasibility of removing BFRs from a select few electronics products; however, the report provides no indication of any environmental benefit in removing the BFRs. Moreover, the report does not identify the alternative flame retardants used and whether they are better for human health and the environment than the BFRs they are intended to replace.
IPC continues to lobby to ensure the RoHS revisions process reflects the needs of the electronics industry and is based on sound science. IPC’s white paper, “Recasting the RoHS Directive: An Opportunity to Solidify its Scientific Basis in Support of Comprehensive Environmental Regulation,” advocates for a revised RoHS to be based on sound science and fully aligned with the REACH methodology for substance restrictions.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China.
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