70.76.030 - Manufacture, sale, or distribution of products containing commercial deca-bde -- Departments review of commercial deca-bde alternatives -- Effective date of prohibitions. - Washington Statutes

Manufacture, sale, or distribution of products containing commercial deca-bde — Departments review of commercial deca-bde alternatives — Effective date of prohibitions.

(1) Except as provided in RCW 70.76.090, no person may manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in this state mattresses containing commercial deca-bde after January 1, 2008.

     (2) Except as provided in RCW 70.76.090, no person may manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in this state residential upholstered furniture that contains commercial deca-bde, or any television or computer that has an electronic enclosure that contains commercial deca-bde after the effective date established in subsection (3) of this section. This prohibition may not take effect until the department and the department of health identify that a safer and technically feasible alternative is available, and the fire safety committee, created in RCW 70.76.040, determines that the identified alternative meets applicable fire safety standards. The effective date of the prohibition must be established according to the following process:

     (a) The department and the department of health shall review risk assessments, scientific studies, and other relevant findings regarding alternatives to the use of commercial deca-bde in residential upholstered furniture, televisions, and computers.

     (b) If the department and the department of health jointly find that safer and technically feasible alternatives are available for any of these uses, the department shall convene the fire safety committee created in RCW 70.76.040 to determine whether the identified alternatives meet applicable fire safety standards.

     (c) By majority vote, the fire safety committee created in RCW 70.76.040 shall make a finding whether an alternative identified under (b) of this subsection meets applicable fire safety standards. The fire safety committee shall report their finding to the state fire marshal. After reviewing the finding of the fire safety committee, the state fire marshal shall determine whether an alternative identified under (b) of this subsection meets applicable fire safety standards. The determination of the fire marshal must be based upon the finding of the fire safety committee. The state fire marshal shall report the determination to the department.

     (d) The department shall seek public input on their findings, the findings of the fire safety committee, and the determination by the state fire marshal. The department shall publish these findings in the Washington State Register, and submit them in a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature. The department shall initially report these findings by December 31, 2008.

     (3) The effective date of the prohibition is as follows:

     (a) If the December 31, 2008, report required in subsection (2)(d) of this section finds that a safer and technically feasible alternative that meets applicable fire safety standards is available, the prohibition takes effect January 1, 2011;

     (b) If the December 31, 2008, report required in subsection (2)(d) of this section does not find that a safer and technically feasible alternative that meets applicable fire safety standards is available, the prohibition does not take effect January 1, 2011. Beginning in 2009, by December 31st of each year, the department shall review and report on alternatives as described in subsection (2) of this section. The prohibition in subsection (2) of this section takes effect two years after a report submitted to the legislature required under subsection (2)(d) of this section finds that a safer and technically feasible alternative that meets applicable fire safety standards is available.

[2007 c 65 § 4.]