Steve Bold of Continental Circuits Corp. and co-chair of IPC's Environmental, Health, and Safety Legislative Subcommittee will speak on behalf of IPC members this afternoon at a congressional hearing that the U.S. House of Representative's Subcommittee on Technology will hold on the increasing importance of international standards.  In particular, Steve will address the opportunities as well as the challenges that ISO 14000 offers small businesses.  The hearing will be held in Washington, D.C..

Steve's testimony states that IPC supports voluntary international standards that companies can use, if they choose, as a template to help gauge their environmental performance; however, IPC strongly opposes any attempts by EPA to transform the current standard's self-certification provision into a third-party certification requirement.  

The EPA has floated some proposals that would allow companies that receive third-party ISO 14,000 certification to participate in alternative regulatory programs that exchange regulatory incentives for improved environmental performance.  IPC opposes third-party certification because it is very expensive and not necessary.  IPC is concerned that a third-party certification requirement would preclude small firms from participating in alternative regulatory systems that are designed to achieve "cleaner", "cheaper" and "smarter" results, thereby, giving larger companies an unfair competitive advantage.    

If you would like a copy of IPC's testimony, please e.mail Holly Lynch, IPC Director of Environmental and Health Programs, at [log in to unmask]