U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

Publication

The Plain English Guide To The Clean Air Act

Consumer products

Hair sprays, paints, foam plastic products (such as disposable styrofoam coffee cups), carburetor and choke sprays-all are consumer products that may be regulated under the 1990 Clean Air Act. These products will be regulated to reduce releases of smog-forming VOCs and ozone-destroying chemicals (CFCs and related chemicals).

By May 1993, consumer products containing CFCs and related chemicals identified in the 1990 Clean Air Act as most damaging to the ozone layer have this label:

WARNING: contains or manufactured with (name of chemical), a substance which harms public health and the environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphere.

All products containing less destructive ozone destroying chemicals identified in the 1990 Act must be labeled by 2015.

Consumers should be aware of product changes and any safety or health problems that may be caused by the new ozone-safe formulations. Material safety data sheets for the products should be read for health and safety information and information on how to use and dispose of the product.[5]

[5] Material safety data sheets are product safety information sheets prepared by manufacturers and marketers. These sheets can be obtained by requesting them from the manufacturer. Some stores, such as hardware stores, may have material safety data sheets on hand for products they sell. The 1990 Clean Air Act orders EPA to study VOC releases from consumer products and report to Congress by 1993 on whether these products should be regulated. If they are to be regulated, EPA is to list the consumer products that account for at least 80 percent of VOC releases, and issue regulations for product categories, starting with the worst polluters. Labeling, repackaging, chemical formula changes, fees or other procedures may be used to reduce VOC releases.