NASF Partners with DOD on Workshop at SUR/FIN on California HexChrome Phase-Out

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) continues to advance a new rulemaking to transition hexavalent chromium plating to trivalent chromium for decorative chromium plating, functional chromium plating and chromic acid anodizing. While CARB continues to extend the proposed timeframe for the transition, NASF and its California leadership have argued that the state’s regulatory deadlines remain unrealistic. If promulgated, this rule could have a significant adverse impact on platers in California and critical supply chains, particularly the U.S. defense supply chain.

In response to this rulemaking, NASF, in coordination with Department of Defense officials, has scheduled an NASF-DOD Workshop on November 3, 2021 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM at SUR/FIN in Detroit, Michigan. The workshop will include surface finishing industry experts and DOD officials and contractors who will focus on implications for the defense supply chain and identify approaches to address these implications from a technology and policy perspective. For more information on the workshop visit the NASF website at https://www.nasfsurfin.com  or contact Christian Richter (crichter@thepolicygroup.com) or Jeff Hannapel (jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com).

In the meantime, NASF and its California Chapters continue outreach efforts to customers, CARB staff and Board members, California state legislators and regulatory officials regarding the potential negative impacts of this rule.  NASF and its California Chapters will also continue working with state officials and industry partners to develop a rule that is protective of human health and the environment and is technologically feasible and economically sustainable. For more information on this rulemaking, please contact Jeff Hannapel with NASF at jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com or Christian Richter at crichter@thepolicygroup.com.

This update is courtesy of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF). For more information or to become a member, visit nasf.org.