[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 1998)] [Notices] [Page 70756] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-33864] [[Page 70756]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Petition Requesting a Ban of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in All Toys and Other Products Intended for Children 5 Years of Age and Under AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Commission has received a petition under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) (Petition No. HP 99-1) from the National Environmental Trust and 11 other organizations. The petition asks the Commission to ban the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in toys and other products intended for the use of children age 5 and under. The Commission solicits written comments concerning the petition from all interested parties. DATES: Comments on the petition should be received in the Office of the Secretary by February 22, 1999. ADDRESSES: Comments on the petition should be mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207, telephone (301) 504-0800, or delivered to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, room 502, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda Maryland 20814. Comments may also be filed by telefacsimile to (301) 504-0127 or by email to [email protected]. Comments should be captioned ``Petition HP 99-1--PVC Children's Articles.'' Copies of the petition are available by writing or calling the Office of the Secretary. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rockelle Hammond, Docket Control and Communications Specialist, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone: (301) 504-0800 ext. 1232. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission has docketed correspondence from the National Environmental Trust and 11 other organizations as a petition under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) (Petition No. HP 99-1). The petition requests that the CPSC (1) ``[i]nstitute an immediate ban on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in all toys and other products intended for children five years of age and under'' and (2) ``[i]ssue a national advisory on the health risks that have been associated with soft plastic vinyl (PVC) toys to inform parents and consumers about the risks associated with PVC toys currently in stores and homes.'' These requests result from the petitioners' concerns about health risks from phthalates (especially DINP), lead, and cadmium that can be in PVC. The Commission solicits comments on the issues raised by the petition, particularly on the extent to which children might be exposed to the identified hazards. The requested ``national advisory'' would not require rulemaking to implement. Therefore, that request technically is not part of the docketed petition. Nevertheless, the Commission solicits comment on this request also. Comments to CPSC should be mailed, preferably in five copies, to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207-0001, or delivered to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 502, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland; telephone (301) 504-0800. Comments may also be filed by telefacsimile to (301) 504-0127 or by email to cpsc- [email protected]. Comments should be captioned ``Petition HP 99-1--PVC Children's Articles.'' Interested parties may obtain a copy of the petition from the CPSC's website at http://www.cpsc.gov or by writing or calling the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0800. A copy of the petition is available for inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the Commission's Public Reading Room, room 502, 4330 East- West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Dated: December 16, 1998. Sadye E. Dunn, Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 98-33864 Filed 12-21-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6355-01-U