The Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment Act (EDEE) was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on May 14, 2009. A companion version has not yet been introduced in the Senate. The bill, which would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, seeks to prohibit the manufacture of any “electroindustry” product that contains “a concentration value greater than 0.1% by weight of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) as measured in any homogeneous material contained in the electroindustry product, or a concentration value greater than 0.01% of cadmium as measured in any homogeneous material contained in the electroindustry product.” The stated purpose behind this act is to establish a national standard so that manufacturers are not subjected to conflicting state standards. The bill also specifies certain exemptions although there is no specific exemption that applies to aerospace. Rather, the exemptions primarily relate to the areas of interest to the group behind this bill, the Association of Electrical and Medical Imaging Equipment Manufacturers (NEMA). This bill bears watching and it may be worthwhile for the AIA work with NEMA and seek an amendment to the bill that provides for an aerospace exemption.
