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Robert F. Bukaty/AP
State Rep. Hannah Pingree of Maine
State Rep. Hannah Pingree of Maine
States Take a Stand Against Toxic Chemicals
July 28, 2008 06:59 AM
The presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products has sparked legislative action and calls for change around the country.
30-Second Summary
Maine may be setting an example for the rest of the nation in terms of regulating chemical products.
The state has enacted a law allowing it to thoroughly identify and investigate the presence of potentially hazardous substances in household goods. The sale of some products could even be banned.
The legislation was sponsored by Hannah Pingree, the majority leader in Maine’s House of Representatives, after she found out she had dangerously high levels of substances like arsenic and mercury in her system.
“Maine is sending a clear message to the federal government that where they have failed, states will act,” Pingree stated.
Rep. Joe Barton of Texas urged caution in regulating chemical substances. He said rules should be based on “repeatable science” conducted with “good laboratory practices and sound scientific research principles.
He suggested that lawmakers be careful not to “ban good products based on bad science.”
Several chemicals found in consumer products have attracted national, and even international, attention recently.
The presence of bisphenol A in baby bottles is just one example. Phthalates have also come under close scrutiny for their potential effects on human health.
States may be trying to “fill a regulatory void left by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” according to Reuters.
Since 1976, the EPA has only banned five of 82,000 chemicals that are harmful to people; the last chemical was asbestos in 1989.
Lawmakers in Maryland, Nebraska and Hawaii are considering bills similar to Maine’s.
The state has enacted a law allowing it to thoroughly identify and investigate the presence of potentially hazardous substances in household goods. The sale of some products could even be banned.
The legislation was sponsored by Hannah Pingree, the majority leader in Maine’s House of Representatives, after she found out she had dangerously high levels of substances like arsenic and mercury in her system.
“Maine is sending a clear message to the federal government that where they have failed, states will act,” Pingree stated.
Rep. Joe Barton of Texas urged caution in regulating chemical substances. He said rules should be based on “repeatable science” conducted with “good laboratory practices and sound scientific research principles.
He suggested that lawmakers be careful not to “ban good products based on bad science.”
Several chemicals found in consumer products have attracted national, and even international, attention recently.
The presence of bisphenol A in baby bottles is just one example. Phthalates have also come under close scrutiny for their potential effects on human health.
States may be trying to “fill a regulatory void left by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” according to Reuters.
Since 1976, the EPA has only banned five of 82,000 chemicals that are harmful to people; the last chemical was asbestos in 1989.
Lawmakers in Maryland, Nebraska and Hawaii are considering bills similar to Maine’s.
Headline Link: ‘Maine wages fight against toxic chemicals’
Maine requires makers of toxic chemicals to inform the state of the quantity and purpose of chemicals present, and to work on developing safer substances. The state can issue a “certificate of non-compliance” if manufacturers produce chemicals that don’t meet state requirements. Experts are eyeing Maine to see if its law will cause changes nationwide.
Source: Reuters
Opinion & Analysis: Thoughts on chemical products
Rep. Joe Barton of Texas is the lead Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. When it comes to chemical regulation, Barton said he has learned that “because most of us in Congress are not chemists or toxicologists, we should avoid putting on lab coats and instead let the experts who do this for a living keep doing it.”
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Chemical manufacturers have made considerable changes in their industry “to become more efficient and more environmentally conscious,” according to WVNS-TV in West Virginia. The station called on its state leaders to realize that those same chemical companies “deserve a stable and predictable climate in which to do business.”
Source: WVNS-TV (West Virginia)
Related Topic: Chemical exposure
Researchers are investigating why many girls are reaching puberty at earlier ages, a developmental trend putting preteens under social and emotional pressure. Exposure to pesticides, endocrine disruptors and phthalates, as well as obesity, are some of the possible causes for early-onset maturation.
Source: findingDulcinea
A University of Washington researcher recently found that common household products like laundry detergents and air fresheners may contain chemicals that are harmful to human health. However, product labels may not always disclose that information. Chris Cathcart of the Consumer Specialty Products Association said quantities of some chemicals are not present “at levels deemed hazardous under the law. Given the limited space on product labels, it is important to include the relevant information consumers need to make intelligent use, storage and disposal decisions.”
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
In May 2008, the FDA told consumers not to worry about a controversial chemical found in plastic water and baby bottles: bisphenol A. The National Toxicology Program had issued a report in April 2008 saying there was “some concern” about the safety of the chemical, found in many plastics, including baby bottles.
Source: findingDulcinea
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