Hearing on chemical-limiting bills heats up

Statesman Journal: "Industry representatives clashed with environmental health advocates Monday over a pair of bills designed to reduce children's exposure to chemicals during the first public hearing before the Consumer Protection Committee.

HB 2367 would ban from children's products Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, a chemical commonly found in baby bottles, water bottles and food can liners, which some studies suggest affect brain and behavioral development."

Betsy Earls, who represents thousands of retailers through Associated Oregon Industry, questioned the state's ability to make technical decisions about the chemical contents of products and to require alternatives. She said the bills also would hurt retailers' ability to stock products and called the ban unrealistic because manufacturers would unlikely change chemical formulas to suit Oregon.

Supporters pointed out that Oregon isn't alone. It is one of eight states, including Washington, considering a ban on BPA.

Tip of the Week - Avoid Metal Cans

The Go Green Blog: "When you are in the grocery store shopping and have the option to buy a product in a metal can or a glass jar…go with the glass jar. That’s because the inside of many metal cans are lined with a plastic liner that contains the chemical Bisphenol A or commonly abbreviated as BPA, which is associated with hormone disruption and can leach from the can liner into the food.

All chemicals are bad, especially in our food, but unfortunately BPA is so widely used and manufactured that you’re not likely to eliminate it from your system altogether. Below are some tips you can take to minimize your exposure to BPA:
When possible, and especially if you’re pregnant and when feeding a young child, limit the amount of canned food in your diet."

State house votes to ban chemical from baby bottles

seattlepi.com: "An estrogen-mimicking chemical that some believe can harm babies and children is getting closer to being banned in baby bottles, sippy cups and sports water bottles in Washington.

The House voted 76-21 Thursday to ban bisphenol A, or BPA, from certain consumer items. The bill still must be approved by the Senate before becoming law.

'It is for the good of the children,' Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, said during the House debate. 'BPA is dangerous. It has to be removed now.'

The threat posed by bisphenol A, a chemical used in hard, clear plastics, dental sealants and to line tin cans, has been widely debated."

Some lawmakers Thursday wondered why the ban didn't include more products, such as tin and aluminum cans, if BPA is so dangerous.

How is it that "the science is good enough to say ban it in your REI bottle, but don't ban it in your Pepsi can?" asked Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Bellingham.

Ivy Sager Rosenthal, campaign director for the non-profit Washington Toxics Coalition, said there were fewer alternatives to BPA for lining cans. She said the bill makes sense as a first step.

"It tackles the products that children are exposed to on a daily basis," she said. "It sends a message to the chemical industry that BPA is no longer welcome."

6 More Companies To Stop Using Bisphenol A

thedailygreen.com: "Six more companies will stop selling baby bottles and other products for babies that are made with Bisphenol A, according to the San Francisco Chronicle (may it -- and its fine reporting staff -- survive to report the follow-up story).

Playtex Products Inc.
Gerber
Evenflo Co.
Avent America Inc.
Dr. Brown
Disney First Years

The decision comes after legal pressure from the attorneys general of several states, lead by Connecticut -- showing that effective action protecting the public from suspect and dangerous consumer products can come from the states, when the federal government fails to step in (though patchwork regulation and regulation-by-lawsuit is not ideal)."

Controversial chemical BPA found in soda cans

Caymanmama: "Soft drink junkies beware: a Canadian study has recently discovered “significant levels” of the very controversial chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in soft drink cans as well as energy drink cans.

According to an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail, BPA was identified in at least 96 percent of the soft drinks it tested, including ginger ales, diet colas, root beers and citrus-flavored drinks.

Astonishingly, the highest levels of BPA were found in energy drinks. Soda cans are treated with a BPA-containing liner to prevent the drink from coming into contact with metal."

Health Canada surveys canned drinks, finds low levels of bisphenol A

Yahoo! Canada News: "The chemical bisphenol A, already banned from baby bottles, has been detected in samples of almost every canned drink product tested by Health Canada.

The beverage industry says an adult would have to consume about 7,400 cans of pop a day to approach the tolerable intake levels set by Health Canada, but an environmental watchdog group wonders why the chemical, also known as BPA, has to be in the cans at all."

"The results of the study were extremely reassuring in that they have confirmed previous assessments conducted by Health Canada - that exposure to bisphenol A in food packaging application, and in this specific case, from soft drinks or from canned drinks, is actually not conducive to any human health concern," Godefroy said Thursday in Ottawa.

He said there's no cause for alarm.