States and Cities on BPA: We'll just ban it ourselves

As has been exhaustively detailed on this blog, the FDA has failed, time and time again, to protect U.S. citizens from toxic chemicals. Perhaps the most egregious of these failures, at least in recent memory, is its unwillingness to regulate BPA, the endocrine-disruptor found in countless plastics, including baby bottles. I won't get into the science, which has found, overwhelmingly, that small amounts of the chemical affect serious changes in the human body, most particularly in the infant body. Instead, I'll focus on some really heartening news. Cities and states are now taking it upon themselves to simply ban BPA themselves.

Let's talk about Chicago. Last week, the Finance Committee of the Chicago City Council held hearings on a proposal to ban BPA from children's products (by the way, I am waiting for someone from the chemical industry to pull an "Insider" and blow the whistle on the "science" being produced by the industry to keep BPA on the market). According to the Chicago Tribune,

Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and Ald. Manny Flores (1st) have sponsored a resolution that urges the FDA "to expedite its current review of the safety of bisphenol A . . . and take appropriate action." The resolution says that if the FDA doesn't take action by April 30, Chicago will "aggressively pursue" a city ban on BPA.

In Minnesota, a bill to ban BPA as well as one to ban phthalates, both in children's products, passed the state legislature, only to be vetoed by our governor, Tim Pawlenty, for reasons that remain a complete mystery. In fact, I've been told by a source that after being questioned about these vetoes, Pawlenty seemed ill equipped to participate in any intelligent conversation regarding either of these two toxins. He seemed surprised to learn how toxic--and ever-present--phthalates, in particular, are. In any case, Healthy Legacy has again written a bill to ban BPA from children's products. I cannot imagine that if this bill passes the legislature again that Pawlenty can veto it. The outcry over BPA has only grown, especially in Minnesota. That the bill has appeared in two consecutive legislative sessions suggests that the people who elected Pawlenty want this bill passed and want their children protected. I urge anyone who lives in Minnesota to visit the governor's website and take the time to write him an e-mail demanding that he leave the bill unmolested should it pass. You may e-mail Tim Pawlenty at: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us