In June 2012, ACA's
AFWG developed and submitted the "In Water Hull Cleaning and Passive Leaching Study Protocol" to DPR and coordinated the funding of the study among copper suppliers and copper-based antifouling registrants in California.
"We are working on answering key questions critical to the understanding of family and youth in those countries and trying to approach them in ways that haven't been addressed before in order to have an impact on the environment and long-term policy implications," said Suad Joseph, founder and facilitator of
AFWG, based in UC Davis, US.
ACA and its
AFWG contend that antifouling paints release copper at a controlled rate and that excessive underwater hull cleaning practices contribute a high percentage of the release of copper into marinas.
AFWG's European spokesman David Brunswick says the problem is growing but,because of the nature of the scams,it is difficult to give accurate figures.
ACA and its
AFWG contend that antifouling paints release copper at a restricted rate and that excessive underwater hull cleaning practices contribute a high percentage of the release of copper into marinas.
In March 2011, members of the
AFWG, and other affected registrants, received a data request from the DPR titled, "Clarification of Leach Rate Determination, Notice of Additional Data Requirements and Meeting Regarding the Reevaluation of Copper Based Anti-fouling Paint Pesticides." The data requirement called for, among other things, a protocol to accurately determine the impact underwater hull cleaning has on overall copper release from antifouling paint.
IPPIC's
AFWG works to monitor activity that will or is likely to impact the regulations governing the marketing and use of antifouling products.
ACA's
AFWG and other industry stakeholders had urged the California State Lands Commission to delete the performance standards from the proposed regulation and, instead, confine its provisions to those in the IMO Guidelines for Control and Management of Ships' Biofouling to Minimize the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species.
On August 15, the Antifouling Workgroup (
AFWG) of the American Coatings Association (ACA) submitted comments to the California State Lands Commission on its draft proposal to control biofoulingon ship hulls entering California ports.