Green Seal, the nation’s premier environmental certification organization and the original “Green Seal of Approval,” is inviting comment from members of the paint industry on the proposed revisions to the Standard for Paints & Coatings, GS-11, and the Standard for Stains & Finishes, GS-47.
The proposed revisions include:

• Combining GS-11 and GS-47 into a single standard, titled Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains and Sealers, GS-11;
• Adding product categories to the scope of the standard, including transparent wall coatings, floor coatings, concrete/masonry sealers and fire resistant coatings;
• The limits on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) will be updated to reference California state air quality regulations.
• The definition of VOCs will be harmonized with other VOC regulation programs

Other than the update of VOC measurement methods and limits, the proposed revisions do not include major changes to the current human health and environmental requirements listed in the current editions of GS-11 and GS-47.
Anyone interested in providing comment on the proposed revision can register at https://collaborase.com/gs-11-revision-2015. A full Draft Proposal of the revisions can be found at www.greenseal.org. Stakeholders may submit comments until the end of May.
The proposed revisions are intended to simplify the certification process and to respond to demand in the market. The criteria established in Green Seal standards are intended to identify, for a given product category, the appropriate levels of leadership that currently exist in the market for protection of human health and environment.
Following the comment period, a response to comments will be published on Green Seal’s website, and the final standard will be published in subsequent weeks.
 
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About Green Seal
The original “Green Seal of Approval” was founded in 1989 to help safeguard the health of people and the planet. As an independent, science-based standards developer and certification body, Green Seal identifies products and services that are environmentally responsible, and provide public education for creating a more sustainable world. Call (202) 872-6400 for more information, or visit www.GreenSeal.org for links to all Green Seal standards and certified products and services.