CHAPTER 629

H.P. 1312 - L.D. 1790

An Act To Reduce Contamination of Breast Milk and the

Environment from the Release of Brominated Chemicals in

Consumer Products

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §1609 is enacted to read:

§1609.__Restrictions on sale and distribution of brominated flame

retardants

1.__"Penta" mixture and "octa" mixture of polybrominated diphenyl ethers.__Effective January 1, 2006, a person may not sell or offer to sell, or distribute for promotional purposes, a product containing more than 1% of the "penta" or "octa" mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

2.__Review; report.__The department, with the Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, shall review relevant risk assessments in connection with brominated flame retardants and relevant findings and rulings by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union.__The department shall annually, no later than January 5th, submit a report regarding the regulation of brominated flame retardants to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters.__For purposes of this subsection, "brominated flame retardant" means any chemical containing the element bromine that may be added to a plastic, foam or textile to inhibit flame formation.

3.__Application.__This section does not apply to the sale of used products.