BPA hearings were filled with supporters
Posted on Jun 25, 2010
This week advocates for children's health testified at two hearings before the Department of Public Health (DPH) about their proposed Bisphenol A (BPA) regulation. Out of the 26 people who testified, 23 testified in support of expanding the regulation and only three were against the regulation.
Supporters came from all over the state to testify before the DPH. Some brought their children. Laura Donnelly gave her testimony in Boston with her youngest child in her lap. He was born with hypospadias, a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis. Hypospadias is linked to early BPA exposure in the womb.
"I'm furious I was not told the canned food I was eating was poisoning my unborn child," Laura said. She then asked the DPH to take BPA out of the entire food supply.
Read more...Take Action: Comment period on BPA open
Posted on Jun 2, 2010June is going to be a critical month for our Bisphenol A (BPA) campaign. If you've been following this story, you know that the Department of Public Health's (DPH) Public Health Council (PHC) met two weeks ago to hear a presentation from the DPH about a proposal for a limited ban on reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA and intended for use by children three and under, which would mean baby bottles and sippy cups. (Read the proposed regulation here.) The PHC has not yet recommended further action, but they still can!
The Department of Public Health has officially opened a public comment period for the proposed regulation that will last until June 30. It is very important that you do everything that you can to let DPH know that you want Massachusetts to phase BPA out of infant formula cans and all reusable food and beverage containers, as well as baby bottles and cups.
Please submit a comment to the DPH by adding your personal statement to our online petition.
Read on to find out about more ways you can help.
Read more...
Canned food exposing consumers to harmful levels of BPA
Posted on May 18, 2010
The food in your pantry might not be as safe as you think. Meals involving one or more cans of food can cause an individual to ingest levels of BPA that have been shown to cause health effects in laboratory animal studies, according to a new study released today by The National Workgroup for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups.
The study, No Silver Lining, tested food from 50 cans from 19 US states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination. Over 90% of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies.
Read more...Proposed BPA regulation doesn't offer enough protection
Posted on May 12, 2010
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Public Health Council (PHC) met this morning to hear a presentation on the limited phase-out of BPA that Governor Patrick has directed. As we expected, DPH staff proposed a limited ban on reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA and intended for use by children three and under, which would mean baby bottles and sippy cups. PHC members asked some questions of DPH staff, but have not yet recommend further action.
The DPH staff members made it very clear that this limited proposal is based on direction from Governor Patrick.
Read more...BPA Action Week Success!
Posted on Apr 13, 2010 Last week AHT organized a BPA week of action to ask Governor Patrick for a phase-out of BPA in products for which there are safer alternatives. These products include infant formula cans and reusable food and beverage containers.
During the week of action, over 600 people called the Governor to voice this message, making the week a big success! We also received a lot of positive feedback from our supporters. Thanks to all of you who called and who recruited others to call. We all showed that when people take a little time to take action, it can really add up.
Read more...BPA Action Week April 5th-9th: Call Governor Patrick!
Posted on Apr 5, 2010 We have a big opportunity in Massachusetts to protect children from BPA, a toxic chemical linked to hyperactivity, impaired learning and other developmental issues.
Please call Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick today and ask him to phase-out BPA products for which there are safer alternatives including infant formula and baby food packaging and reusable beverage and food containers.
1. Dial: 617-725-4005
2. Deliver your message:
- Give your name and where you live
- Say "Thank you for protecting our health by calling for a phase-out of BPA products. Don’t just stop at baby bottles and cups, please include infant formula cans and food and beverage containers as well.”
- If no one picks up the phone, you can leave a message.
3. Report to us that you called. Click to report your call.
4. Tell you friends to call too!
Read more...Why and How to Act on BPA
Posted on Apr 1, 2010 Next week, everyone in Massachusetts has a really important opportunity to make a difference and get BPA out of our children’s products.
The week of April 5th, AHT is organizing a BPA Call-in-Week to Governor Patrick—and he needs to hear from you and your friends!
In preparation, here is a little reminder of why we’re so concerned about BPA.
The history of BPA: A hormone in the plastic
Bisphenol A or BPA was synthesized in a lab in 1891. In the 1930s, it was discovered that BPA mimics the hormone estrogen. It was not until the 1940s and 50s that the chemical was used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic (baby bottles, sippy cups, teethers, toys, pacifiers, water bottles and utensils to name a few) and epoxy resins (which line cans of baby formula and other canned foods). Today, BPA is a multibillion dollar industry and a countless number of consumer products contain BPA.
Governor Calls for BPA Action
Posted on Mar 3, 2010
Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick announced new progress on the phase-out of BPA baby products. He directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to prepare a regulation to ban the sale of household products containing BPA. The Boston Globe published a great story today on the Governor’s announcement. This is a big step forward towards protecting the health of all developing children!
We have all worked so hard over the past two years to get to this point. Thank you so much to everyone who helped thus far. Thousands of parents across the state have expressed outrage that they unknowingly fed their infants a hormone disrupting chemical in their baby formula and your voice has been heard.
Read more...
FDA expresses "some concern" over BPA
Posted on Jan 15, 2010 Today the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an update to its position on BPA (bisphenol-A), the toxic chemical that we are exposed to through baby bottles, sippy cups, infant formula and food can linings and many other sources.
FDA states that there is "some concern" about the safety of BPA for humans, and that they will work with other agencies to conduct further research. In conjunction with the FDA announcement, the US Department of Health and Human Services posted tips for parents to minimize children's exposure (such as to dispose of scratched or worn baby bottles).
The agency was criticized by its own science review panel for its 2008 determination that products containing BPA were safe but the new announcement says, Read more...A good step towards protecting MA babies from BPA!
Posted on Aug 4, 2009 Yesterday the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a warning to parents and prospective parents: keep the chemical BPA away from your children, and stay away from it if you're pregnant.
According to a DPH press release, "DPH is specifically advising parents and caretakers of children up to two years old to avoid the use of products that contain BPA for making or storing infant formula and breast milk. DPH is further advising pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid products that may contain BPA."
AHT has been calling on the state to ban BPA in children's products since last summer. The Massachsuetts DPH has the legal authority to ban the the sale of toxic household products that are hazardous to children. I know that all of us in the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and our citizen activists are glad that this warning has been issued, and we now we're eager for the next step (a ban!). Mia Davis of Clean Water Action articulated this sentiment in today's front page Boston Globe story:
Read more...CA Panel Decides BPA not Toxic
Posted on Jul 17, 2009 In California this week, a science advisory panel declared in a unanimous ruling that BPA should not be listed as a female or male reproductive or developmental toxicant. The science advisory panel in this case is the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant (DART) Identification Committee and their job is to advise regulators in the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on what chemicals should be put on a list.
The list in question is called Proposition 65, which was established by the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Proposition 65 demands that the state publish a list of chemicals known to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity.
Read more...
CT first state to ban BPA in food cans, MA still lagging
Posted on Jun 10, 2009 Last week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill that made Connecticut the first state to ban the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from infant formula and baby food cans and jars, as well as the full range of reusable food and beverage containers! The BPA bill passed with only one vote cast in opposition. It was truly a bipartisan victory!
Now two Republican Governors, in Connecticut and Minnesota (did not include baby food cans), have signed laws banning BPA in children's products. The people of Massachusetts deserve the same protection as the people in these states. We don't even need to pass a law! So it should be much easier to do in Massachusetts.
Read more...
More News on BPA
Posted on May 21, 2009A new study released online on May 12th, 2009 in the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives tested the urine of 77 Harvard students for bisphenol-A (BPA) who drank cold beverages from polycarbonate beverage containers.
The study found that one week of polycarbonate bottle use increased urinary BPA concentrations by two thirds. Thus, regular consumption of cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles is associated with a substantial increase in urinary BPA concentrations irrespective of exposure to BPA form other sources.
Why is this important?
Read more...Letters to the Editor on BPA
Posted on Mar 30, 2009
Boston Globe coverage of the BPA issue continues!
On Sunday, March 29th, there were three letters to the editor published in the Globe supporting for a ban on BPA in children's products.
You can read the letters from: Mimi Pomerleau of Reading, Mary Dempsey of Bellingham, and Leo Sarkissian of the Arc of Massachusetts.
Industry groups seeking to dupe the public into thinking that BPA is safe also got two letters published. These were from representatives of the Grocery Manufacturer's Association and the American Chemistry Council.
Read more...Messages in Bottles Delivered to Governor
Posted on Mar 19, 2009
Event covered on the front page of The Boston Globe
On Thursday, March 19th, 2009 about 30 parents and advocates from different parts of the State delivered 8,490 messages to the Governor at the MA State House. Some of those messages were delivered in baby bottles.
We said loud and clear that we want baby products free of toxic chemical BPA!
On Friday morning, there we were on the front page of the Boston Globe waiting to deliver petition signatures. Not shabby coverage at all!
Read more...FDA Delays Taking Action on Bisphenol A
Posted on Feb 25, 2009
Continuing to demonstrate its reluctance to regulate toxic chemicals in consumer products, the Food and Drug Administration announced that additional time was required to assess whether it is safe to use bisphenol A (BPA) in food containers.
Though the move may be considered a relative improvement over its previous assertion that BPA is safe, the FDA has ignored a growing body of scientific evidence that BPA is harmful to humans even in low exposures.
Many states have grown impatient as the Federal government has dawdled on the issue.
Read more...Help Protect Children from BPA
Posted on Jan 19, 2009
We should be able to trust that products in our stores are safe!
Sign the Petition to Governor Patrick Today!
Aren't all consumer products safe?
The short answer is NO! Toxic chemicals are in widespread use in common household products. For example, many baby bottles, water bottles, and other products contain BPA, or Bisphenol A. BPA is linked to obesity, early onset puberty, breast cancer, low sperm counts, hyperactivity, depression and other health effects. In scientific studies, BPA-exposed animals have altered development of the male and female reproductive tracts, mammary tissues, the immune system, fat tissue, and the thyroid.
Read more...BPA: The Bottle Toxin
Posted on Jan 9, 2009
Why all the recent press on BPA (Bisphenol A)?
#1. Health Canada has announced that BPA is a dangerous substance.
#2. The U.S. National Toxicology Program has stated in their report on BPA that there is "some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposure."
Where do you find BPA?
BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic, which is widely used for a number of consumer products.
Read more...