ITRA protests natural rubber petition

WASHINGTON (Sept. 29)—Declaring all natural rubber a "strong sensitizer" for allergies would have a severe negative effect on the tire retread/repair and recycling industries, according to the International Tire & Rubber Association. ITRA Executive Director Marvin Bozarth sent comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in opposition to the petition of Debi Adkins, editor of "Latex Allergy News." Scientific evidence is conclusive ``that the dry natural rubber used by our manufacturers and recyclers is not, as defined in the CPSC regulations, a strong sensitizer,´´ Bozarth wrote. "There is no known replacement for the dry natural rubber used in many of the products produced in our industry, and declaring the dry natural rubber as a strong sensitizer could create major shortages and inferior products."