October 28, 2009 -- On November 10 in Irvine, CA, IPC will host a conference titled “It’s Not Easy Being Green: Complying with Global Environmental Regulation,” a detailed discussion of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT’s) initial list, or Catalogue, of products subject to lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) restrictions. The new restrictions, released on October 9, will be discussed along with the criteria for future products to be added to the catalogue.
Tad Ferris, partner at law firm Holland & Knight, will offer key insights on issues such as expected mandatory premarket certification and required laboratory analysis. Ferris has more than 15 years of experience working with Chinese government agencies, multinational corporations and multilateral institutions through Holland & Knight’s Beijing office.
In addition to covering recent changes to China’s regulations, the conference will feature an up-to-date read on European Union (EU) deliberations on the recast of the original Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS). Steve Andrews, the United Kingdom’s representative to the EU’s RoHS Technical Advisory Committee, will lead off the conference with an insider’s view of the debate in the EU Council and Parliament.
Presentations by key industry experts will offer critical updates on global environmental regulations and trends, including Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), and California’s recently proposed Green Chemistry Policy. Afternoon highlights include halogen-free electronics, conflict metals restrictions and the tools available to help companies measure their eco-environmental impact.
“Not merely interesting politics, the issues being debated this year could have a substantial impact on the global electronics industry,” says Fern Abrams, IPC director of government relations and environmental policy. “Green nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are continuing to push for additional substance restrictions and compulsory testing and labeling under the CE mark.”
For attendees wanting more in-depth information on REACH, an afternoon workshop on November 9 will offer a primer on the EU’s regulation. Lead by Michael Kirschner, president of Design Chain Associates, this workshop will serve as an introduction and background to the REACH update being presented during the full-day technical conference the following day.
A companion Materials Conference on November 11 will feature comprehensive sessions examining performance and reliability issues related to halogen-free laminate and lead-free alloys.
For more information on IPC’s “Its Not Easy Being Green” conference or the Materials conference, visit www.IPC.org/Compliance-Materials-Conference. To register, go to www.IPC.org/Compliance-Materials-Register or call (847) 597-2861.
