10 Jul 2009

The Electronics Industry Faces Compliance to Proposed United States Federal Level Restriction of Hazardous Substances Bill

Intertek, (www.intertek.com), the leading provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of industries, is now providing businesses with compliance support and solutions for the recently proposed federal level Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) Bill in the United States. This is an exciting addition to Intertek’s market leading suite of global RoHS regulations end-to-end compliance solutions.

On May 14, 2009, H.R. 2420, the Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment Act (EDEE) Act, was introduced as a Bill in the US House of Representatives. EDEE is a federal level regulation of restrictions in the use of certain substances in electrical products and equipment, similar to the European Union’s RoHS Directive.

The EDEE Act states that no electronic industry product shall be manufactured after July 1, 2010, that contains a concentration value greater than 0.1 percent (10%) by weight of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) as measured in any homogenous material contained in the electro-industry product, or a concentration value greater than 0.01 percent of cadmium as measured in any homogenous material contained in the electro-industry product.

The EDEE Act will be implemented as an amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. One of the reasons for the proposed Bill is to establish one uniform, federal regulation to prevent disparity between the fifty US States, as a few states have already implemented state-level RoHS type restrictions. This Bill currently sits with the Committee on Energy and Commerce waiting for approval.

“The proposed legislation is a continuation of the global trend towards green products”, states Dr. Ruud Overbeek, Vice President of Intertek’s Health and Environmental Services, Restricted Substances and REACH. “As these laws are added and expanded, businesses must continue to evolve their product lines and ensure ongoing compliance”.

Intertek (www.intertek.com/rohs) provides comprehensive consulting, testing, bill of material assessment, product conversion, and certification solutions for RoHS compliance. Intertek provides a single-source solution for meeting the requirements of the RoHS Regulation. Utilizing Intertek’s vast wealth of restricted substances experts and locations in over 100 countries worldwide, Intertek’s commitment is to deliver effective solutions to facilitate its customers’ success in the global marketplace.

For additional information about Intertek’s restricted substances services, please contact our experts directly at rohs@intertek.com or visit www.intertek.com/rohs.

Contacts
For further information, please contact

Joel Pekay
Global Marketing and Business Development Director
Telephone: +1 630 481 3126
Email: joel.pekay@intertek.com

rohs@intertek.com
www.intertek.com/rohs



About Intertek Health & Environmental Services (www.intertek.com/green)
Intertek Health & Environmental Services offers the complete solution for global, regional, or local compliance, providing sound traceability systems and strict enforcement of due diligence policies. Intertek does more than simply help our clients comply, we give them the competitive advantage they desire. Our Services offer comprehensive solutions for RoHS, Restricted Substances, CPSIA, REACH, California Proposition 65, Carbon Management, and Greenhouse Gas reduction, including on-call consulting, testing and analysis, legal representation, certification, and corporate education appropriate for all types and levels of business. Intertek Health & Environmental Services is a leader in global environmental compliance, consulting, technology services and product stewardship.

About Intertek (www.intertek.com)
Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 23,000 people in 100 countries around the world.