As part of its evaluation of current and historic uses and management of potentially hazardous chemicals, the Pentagon conducted a preliminary Phase I Impact Assessment for hexavalent chromium and concluded that there are probable “high risks” to some Department of Defense (DOD) operations. 

Recognizing that hexavalent chromium is a mission-critical material in numerous DOD weapons systems and platforms, and that the regulatory trends for hexavalent chromium are rapidly developing with potential impacts on life-cycle costs and material availability, the Pentagon has initiated a Phase II Impact Assessment for hexavalent chromium to identify possible risk management options. As part of this process, DOD is holding a meeting on July 25, 2007, in Crystal City, Va., for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to identify and articulate the health, financial, legal, and operational implications of risk management options for the use of hexavalent chromium for military applications. The SMEs will include representatives from both the surface finishing industry and DOD. 

For more information on this process, visit the NASF website at www.nasf.org.