UPDATE: Berkeley City Council to Consider Nanotechnology Regulation
On December 5, 2006 the Berkeley, California City Council began considering two municipal code amendments directly addressing manufactured nanoparticles. As reported here earlier, the ordinance will amend two portions of the Berkeley Municipal Code, sections 15.12.040 and 15.12.050, to include reporting requirements for manufactured nanoparticles. Those required to report are all "facilities" who produce or use manufactured nanoparticles. The amendments call for written disclosure of "the current toxicology of the materials reported, to the extent known,and how the facility will safely handle, monitor, contain, dispose, tract inventory, prevent releases, and mitigate such materials." The amendment further defines nanoparticles subject to disclosure as those "with one axis less than 100 nanometers in length." If passed, after the required subsequent readings by Council and a vote, this will be the first known regulation aimed specifically at manufactured nanoparticles by a local government.
