Safer Alternatives Bill receives a "favorable report"
Posted on Jul 8, 2010The Bisphenol A (BPA) public comment period is over, and there is a good chance for a positive outcome for this regulation. However, BPA is only one chemical out of hundreds that we come into contact with
everyday. Our government should require companies to use safer alternatives to protect us from many of the harmful chemicals that we are exposed to in our lives. Innovation should be encouraged to keep us as safe from toxic hazards as current science allows.
Cue the Safer Alternatives Bill!
The Safer Alternatives Bill, An Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals (H-4865), is sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton). It will create a pragmatic and flexible program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, wherever feasible.
Read more...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...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...Safe Chemicals Act of 2010
Posted on Apr 20, 2010 Good news! The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 was introduced on Thursday,
April 15th by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representatives Bobby
Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA). This is the first draft of landmark legislation to
overhaul the Toxic
Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA), which is our nation's outdated and ineffective law regulating toxic chemicals.
Some of the biggest reforms in the bill are:
- increasing safety standards to protect vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children
- requiring chemical companies to develop and make publicly available basic health and safety information for all chemicals
- creating a new program to strengthen protections for environmental justice communities, or communities identified as "hot spots" with increased exposure
