US REACH Conference to reflect response to EU Chemicals Legislation

Smithers Rapra Technology (SRT) Ltd., a subsidiary of U.S.-based independent testing, research and consulting organization, The Smithers Group, will host its second international conference on REACH April 15-17, 2008, in Boston in association with sister company, Springborn Smithers Laboratories. Timed to coincide with the pre-registration phase of the legislation, the high-profile event has been developed to enable importers, formulators, distributors and downstream users worldwide to take a proactive approach to the controversial ground-breaking REACH legislation.The three-day conference will feature an expert speaker panel with case studies from world-class companies, such as Rolls-Royce plc, Eastman Kodak Co., Henkel, Estee Lauder, Hewlett Packard, AMEC Earth & Environmental and Evonik Degussa. First Day The first day of the conference will offer practical guidance on the treatment of polymer confidentiality issues under REACH, the requirement to pre-register substances to protect their in-phase status and how to formulate an IT strategy to support and manage REACH compliance activities. There will follow a series of case studies highlighting specific approaches that have been taken to implement REACH by companies in the aerospace, cosmetics and photographic sectors. The day concludes with an evening reception where delegates can discuss the day's proceedings and continue networking. Second Day Day two of the conference will focus on a close inspection of the testing requirements under REACH with guidance on developing exposure scenarios for risk assessment and mitigation. The impacts of REACH on the downstream user will then be explored, including the substitution requirements under REACH and the implications of proposing alternative chemicals not listed on Annex XIV. This will be followed by an evaluation of how the candidate list of substances of very high concern will impact the activities of U.S. manufacturers and regulators. There will be a demonstration on the steps formulators and distributors are taking to meet market expectations and achieve REACH compliance, followed by a session of case studies and discussion on the product liability insurance implications of REACH. Third Day Day three will offer post conference workshops designed to better understand and cope with the more in-depth areas of REACH legislation. "The controversial flagship chemicals policy from the European Commission has been hailed as the most intrusive piece of legislation to hit the European chemicals supply chain," said James L. Dowey, vice president and managing director of Smithers Rapra. "REACH reverses the burden of proof and puts the responsibility on the producer and importer to show that substances are safe before they can be placed on the market." The U.S. exports more than $20 billion in chemical products and invests more than $4 billion in the EU chemical and related industry sectors annually, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. In addition, U.S. firms export more than $400 billion in products containing chemicals, some of which may fall under the scope of REACH regulations.