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Environment

Chemtura Files Against California

by William G. Schulz
January 27, 2014 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 92, Issue 4

Chemtura is suing California over the 2013 revision of the state’s fire-safety standard for upholstered polyurethane foam furniture. The company is a major manufacturer of fire-retardant chemicals for polyurethane foams and other products and applications. California last year modified its safety standard for foam furniture by removing an open-flame test and changing a cigarette smolder test. As a result, flame-retardant chemicals are, in most cases, no longer needed for foam furniture to meet the standard. Chemtura says the move has harmed its flame-retardant chemical business and California consumers via a weakened fire-safety standard. It also claims overreach by state regulators: namely, the Bureau of Electronic Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings & Thermal Insulation. The company says the state abandoned its duty to minimize fire risks from furniture by focusing on other alleged risks—those from certain flame-retardant chemicals—that fall under the jurisdiction of EPA and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

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