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| **[World Trade]{.smallcaps}**                    |                   |
|                                                  |                   |
| **[Organization]{.smallcaps}**                   |                   |
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|                                                  |                   |
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|                                                  | **                |
|                                                  | G/TBT/N/USA/223** |
|                                                  |                   |
|                                                  | 6 November 2006   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | (06-5338)         |
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|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade**     | Original: English |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with
Article 10.6.

+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Member to Agreement    |   |                                    |
| 1. | notifying:** [UNITED     |   |                                    |
| ** | STATES]{.underline}      |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | **If applicable, name of |   |                                    |
|    | local government         |   |                                    |
|    | involved (Articles 3.2   |   |                                    |
|    | and 7.2):**              |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Agency responsible:**  |   |                                    |
| 2. | Environmental Protection |   |                                    |
| ** | Agency (EPA) (229)       |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | **Name and address       |   |                                    |
|    | (including telephone and |   |                                    |
|    | fax numbers, e-mail and  |   |                                    |
|    | web-site addresses, if   |   |                                    |
|    | available) of** **agency |   |                                    |
|    | or authority designated  |   |                                    |
|    | to handle comments       |   |                                    |
|    | regarding the            |   |                                    |
|    | notification shall be    |   |                                    |
|    | indicated if different   |   |                                    |
|    | from above:**            |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Notified under Article |   |                                    |
| 3. | 2.9.2 \[**   **\],       |   |                                    |
| ** | 2.10.1 \[ **  **\],      |   |                                    |
|    | 5.6.2 \[ **  **\], 5.7.1 |   |                                    |
|    | \[ **  **\], other:**    |   |                                    |
|    | 3.2                      |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Products covered (HS   |   |                                    |
| 4. | or CCCN where            |   |                                    |
| ** | applicable, otherwise    |   |                                    |
|    | national tariff          |   |                                    |
|    | heading.\                |   |                                    |
|    | ICS numbers may be       |   |                                    |
|    | provided in addition,    |   |                                    |
|    | where applicable):**     |   |                                    |
|    | Consumer products        |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | (HS Chapter 3402) (ICS   |   |                                    |
|    | 71)                      |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Title, number of pages |   |                                    |
| 5. | and language(s) of the   |   |                                    |
| ** | notified document:**     |   |                                    |
|    | California Air Resources |   |                                    |
|    | Board Notice of Public   |   |                                    |
|    | Hearing to Consider      |   |                                    |
|    | Adoption of Proposed     |   |                                    |
|    | Amendments to the        |   |                                    |
|    | California Consumer      |   |                                    |
|    | Products Regulations (3  |   |                                    |
|    | pages in English)        |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Description of         |   |                                    |
| 6. | content:** The proposed  |   |                                    |
| ** | regulatory action would  |   |                                    |
|    | amend the existing       |   |                                    |
|    | Consumer Products        |   |                                    |
|    | Regulation by adding and |   |                                    |
|    | modifying product        |   |                                    |
|    | category definitions and |   |                                    |
|    | by establishing new VOC  |   |                                    |
|    | limits for 16 product    |   |                                    |
|    | categories. For some of  |   |                                    |
|    | the categories, separate |   |                                    |
|    | VOC limits are specified |   |                                    |
|    | for different product    |   |                                    |
|    | forms. Most of the new   |   |                                    |
|    | or modified              |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | VOC limits would become  |   |                                    |
|    | effective on 31 December |   |                                    |
|    | 2008. The remainder      |   |                                    |
|    | would become effective   |   |                                    |
|    | on 31 December 2010.     |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | In addition, various     |   |                                    |
|    | other modifications and  |   |                                    |
|    | clarifications are       |   |                                    |
|    | proposed to the existing |   |                                    |
|    | regulatory language.     |   |                                    |
|    | These include amending   |   |                                    |
|    | several definitions,     |   |                                    |
|    | amending the VOC limit   |   |                                    |
|    | of "Nail Polish          |   |                                    |
|    | Remover," and            |   |                                    |
|    | re--evaluating the VOC   |   |                                    |
|    | limit, effective date,   |   |                                    |
|    | and category definition  |   |                                    |
|    | for "Electronic          |   |                                    |
|    | Cleaner." A number of    |   |                                    |
|    | minor changes are also   |   |                                    |
|    | proposed to various      |   |                                    |
|    | regulatory provisions in |   |                                    |
|    | order to correct errors  |   |                                    |
|    | or improve clarity. In   |   |                                    |
|    | addition, an amendment   |   |                                    |
|    | is proposed to section   |   |                                    |
|    | 94523 (Exemptions) of    |   |                                    |
|    | the Aerosol Coatings     |   |                                    |
|    | Regulation. This         |   |                                    |
|    | amendment would clarify  |   |                                    |
|    | that several product     |   |                                    |
|    | categories are exempt    |   |                                    |
|    | from regulation under    |   |                                    |
|    | the Aerosol Coatings     |   |                                    |
|    | Regulation.              |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | The proposed regulatory  |   |                                    |
|    | action would also        |   |                                    |
|    | prohibit the use of      |   |                                    |
|    | three toxic air          |   |                                    |
|    | contaminants ---         |   |                                    |
|    | methylenechloride,       |   |                                    |
|    | perchloroethylene, and   |   |                                    |
|    | trichloroethylene ---in  |   |                                    |
|    | the regulations on       |   |                                    |
|    | "Bathroom and Tile       |   |                                    |
|    | Cleaner," "Construction, |   |                                    |
|    | Panel, and Floor         |   |                                    |
|    | Covering Adhesive,"      |   |                                    |
|    | "General Purpose         |   |                                    |
|    | Cleaner," and "Oven      |   |                                    |
|    | Cleaner." In addition to |   |                                    |
|    | the proposed actions     |   |                                    |
|    | described above, the     |   |                                    |
|    | Board may consider       |   |                                    |
|    | whether to exempt        |   |                                    |
|    | tertiary--Butylacetate   |   |                                    |
|    | (tBac) from the          |   |                                    |
|    | definition of "Volatile  |   |                                    |
|    | Organic Compound." The   |   |                                    |
|    | Board may also consider  |   |                                    |
|    | whether an exemption for |   |                                    |
|    | this compound should be  |   |                                    |
|    | accompanied by           |   |                                    |
|    | provisions limiting or   |   |                                    |
|    | prohibiting its use in   |   |                                    |
|    | consumer products.       |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Objective and          |   |                                    |
| 7. | rationale, including the |   |                                    |
| ** | nature of urgent         |   |                                    |
|    | problems where           |   |                                    |
|    | applicable:** Protection |   |                                    |
|    | of human health and the  |   |                                    |
|    | environment              |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Relevant documents:**  |   |                                    |
| 8. | California Consumer      |   |                                    |
| ** | Products Regulatory Work |   |                                    |
|    | Group Activity:          |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | <http://www.a            |   |                                    |
|    | rb.ca.gov/consprod/regac |   |                                    |
|    | t/cpwg2006/cpwg2006.htm> |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| ** | **Proposed date of       |   | To be determined                   |
| 9. | adoption:**              |   |                                    |
| ** |                          |   | 31 December 2008                   |
|    | **Proposed date of entry |   |                                    |
|    | into force:**            |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| *  | **Final date for         |   |                                    |
| *1 | comments:** 15 November  |   |                                    |
| 0. | 2006                     |   |                                    |
| ** |                          |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+
| *  | **Texts available from:  |   |                                    |
| *1 | National enquiry point   |   |                                    |
| 1. | \[** X **\] or address,  |   |                                    |
| ** | telephone and fax        |   |                                    |
|    | numbers, e-mail and      |   |                                    |
|    | web-site addresses, if   |   |                                    |
|    | available of the other   |   |                                    |
|    | body:**                  |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | Internet URLs:           |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | California Air Resources |   |                                    |
|    | Board Rulemaking:        |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | <htt                     |   |                                    |
|    | p://www.arb.ca.gov/regac |   |                                    |
|    | t/cpwg2006/cpwg2006.htm> |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | California Regulatory    |   |                                    |
|    | Notice Register (CRNR):  |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | Register 2006, No. 39--Z |   |                                    |
|    | , 29 September, 2006     |   |                                    |
|    | (pages 1432-1434)        |   |                                    |
|    |                          |   |                                    |
|    | <http://www.oal.ca.      |   |                                    |
|    | gov/notice/39z-2006.pdf> |   |                                    |
+----+--------------------------+---+------------------------------------+