The lobbying — in the media and behind closed doors — to alter CPSC’s newest definition of unblockable drain may have had an impact.
One of the agency’s five commissioners, Robert Adler, said he plans to propose an amendment to documents outlining the minimum requirements that states must legislate to earn grant monies.
“My amendment will clarify that if states enact the model state law, all pools and spas that fall under the relevant definition will be required to use both a compliant drain cover and a backup device and system,” he said in a public statement. “To the extent this was not clear in the previously published [interpretation] … I believe it was a mistake and a misreading of the plain language of the statute.”
A spokesperson for Adler said such an amendment would be meant to clarify that a backup device should be required on all single drains, even if unblockable. It isn’t known when or even if such an amendment will be considered by CPSC, the spokesperson added. For that to happen, Adler must gain support from fellow commissioners.
Adler was specifically targeted in letter-writing and petition campaigns by advocates hoping to change the unblockable drain requirements. He had held meetings with groups on both sides of the argument. The commissioner also said he plans to encourage Congress to allocate more money for grants, to motivate states to pass legislation at all. “To encourage states to enact laws by dangling a carrot of $4 million total for all 50 states is not nearly enough,” he said.
