“Chemical Reaction: The US Response To REACH" is the title of an article featured on 3 March in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal. Its author aims to explain some of the implications that the REACH implementation will have in the US.

REACH, the EU legislation for chemicals, came into force last summer. US companies exporting products in Europe have to comply with REACH rules. These rules entail providing information and safety data over 30,000 chemicals and abiding by an authorization procedure as well.

US chemical companies’ objections are similar to the European ones. However, as mentioned by Black, US companies are late compared to their European counterparts in terms of adaptation and preparation for REACH legislation. As US companies are lagging behind, it could put them in a competitive disadvantage.

Another point worth noting is the influence of REACH on US state governments. The “REACH model” is spreading in states such as Maine and California which are drafting new legislation on chemicals control. Also, in August 2007, Northern American states signed an agreement similar to REACH in Montebello in Québec to assess 9,000 chemicals.

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