Indium Blog

California RoHS Compliance Date 1 Jan 2007

Category:
  • Indium Corporation
  • RoHS

  • Folks,

    Thanks to loyal reader Carl Ehrhardt
    some interesting info Re California's "RoHS" has come to light. The info was further refined by Mike Kirschner of Design Chain Associates. It appears that California is banning from sale any product that can't be sold in the EU.

    This position is noted in California's SB 50 (1 b. below):

    SECTION 1. Section 25214.10 of the Health and Safety Code is
    amended to read:
    25214.10. a) For purposes of this section, "electronic device"
    has the same meaning as a "covered electronic device," as defined in
    Section 42463 of the Public Resources Code.
    b) The department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with
    this section, that prohibit an electronic device from being sold or
    offered for sale in this state if the electronic device is prohibited
    from being sold or offered for sale in the European Union on and
    after its date of manufacture, to the extent that Directive
    2002/95/EC, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the
    European Union on January 27, 2003, and as amended thereafter by the
    Commission of European Communities, prohibits that sale due to the
    presence of certain heavy metals.
    c) The regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall take
    effect January 1, 2007, or on or after the date Directive
    2002/95/EC, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the
    European Union on January 27, 2003, takes effect, whichever date is
    later.

    Note that you only have until 1 Jan 2007 to comply. California's definiton of the "covered electronic device" may also be more narrow than the EU's. Clarity and details are lacking in the California RoHS consistant with the EU. Also lacking is an infrastructure for enforcement, however I see this trend of tagging onto the EU RoHS as a growing "snowball."

    Cheers,

    Dr, Ron