HOUSE BILL No. 4699

 

March 25, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Kennedy, Warren, Nerat, Scripps, Liss, Haase, Haugh, Slavens, Roberts, Donigan, Gregory, Geiss, Miller, Byrum, Smith, Lisa Brown, Cushingberry, Durhal, Meltzer, Meadows, Valentine and Womack and referred to the Committee on Great Lakes and Environment.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending sections 14721 and 14724 (MCL 324.14721 and 324.14724),

 

as added by 2004 PA 526, and by adding section 14723a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 14721. (1) As used in this subpart:

 

     (a) "Deca-BDE" means decabromodiphenyl ether.

 

     (b) (a) "Department" means the department of environmental

 

quality.

 

     (c) (b) "Octa-BDE" means octabromodiphenyl ether.

 

     (d) (c) "PBDE" means polybrominated diphenyl ether.

 


     (e) (d) "Penta-BDE" means pentabromodiphenyl ether.

 

     (f) "Release" means that term as it is defined in section

 

20101.

 

     (2) This subpart may be cited as the "Mary Beth Doyle PBDE

 

act".

 

     Sec. 14723a. (1) Except as provided in subsection (3),

 

beginning July 1, 2010, a person shall not manufacture, sell, or

 

distribute for sale within this state a mattress or upholstered

 

furniture designed for residential use that contains deca-BDE.

 

However, a retailer that is in possession of a product described in

 

this subsection on July 1, 2010 may sell or otherwise dispose of

 

that product. This subsection does not restrict a person from

 

transporting a product described in this subsection or storing that

 

product for later distribution outside of this state.

 

     (2) Except as provided in subsection (3), beginning January 1,

 

2012, a person shall not manufacture, sell, or distribute for sale

 

within this state a television or computer that contains deca-BDE.

 

However, a retailer that is in possession of a product described in

 

this subsection on July 1, 2012 may sell or otherwise dispose of

 

that product. This subsection does not restrict a person from

 

transporting a product described in this subsection or storing that

 

product for later distribution outside of this state.

 

     (3) A manufacturer or user of a product prohibited from

 

manufacture, sale, or distribution within this state under this

 

section may apply for an exemption for a specific use of deca-BDE

 

by submitting a written petition to the director of the department.

 

An exemption granted under this section shall be for a term not to

 


exceed 2 years. The exemption may be renewed upon written petition

 

if the specific use of deca-BDE continues to meet the criteria of

 

this subsection and the manufacturer or other persons comply with

 

the conditions of its original approval. The director of the

 

department may grant an exemption for a specific use of deca-BDE,

 

with or without conditions, upon finding that the applicant has

 

demonstrated either of the following:

 

     (a) A technically feasible alternative is not available at

 

reasonable cost.

 

     (b) The potential harm to public health and the environment

 

directly posed by a technically feasible and available alternative

 

is greater than the potential harm posed by the use of deca-BDE.

 

     Sec. 14724. The department may establish a PBDE advisory

 

committee to assist the department in determining the risk posed by

 

the release of PBDEs, other than penta-BDE or octa-BDE, and

 

substances used as alternatives to PBDEs to human health and the

 

environment. The department may use existing programs to monitor

 

the presence of PBDEs in the state's environment to determine

 

exposure and risk. If new scientific information gathered by the

 

advisory committee indicates a significant risk to human health and

 

the environment in the state, the advisory committee shall inform

 

the department of risk or risks and, if the department concurs, the

 

department shall advise the legislature of the risk. Nothing in

 

this section shall This section does not preclude the department

 

from issuing recommendations to the legislature independent of any

 

actions of the advisory committee.