California Governor Jerry Brown today proposed to end the widespread use of highly toxic fire retardant chemicals in foam furniture sold in the state.

The top environmental health stories of 2012 were all about everyday hazards that are right in our backyards. They have to do with the unintended consequences of chemical pollution that could harm the health of our families, our neighbors, our towns - our nation.

Harmful fire retardant chemicals are turning up in everything from furniture to dust in American homes, researchers report in two new studies being published today (Nov. 28), a finding that underscores how California's misguided fire safety rules have created a pervasive environmental hazard. 

My kids eat more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches than I'd like to admit. And in my line of work I hear about toxic chemicals daily so it takes a lot to shock me. But, flame retardants in peanut butter? Even I paused when I saw the headline about a recent study that found that flame retardants - that stuff that's slathered on kids' pajamas, sofa foam and upholstery ostensibly to protect us from fires--are showing up in sardines, poultry and yes, even peanut butter.

Finding a nasty flame retardant in peanut butter and other food products brought EWG senior analyst Sonya Lunder to tell E&E reporter Jeremy Jacobs: "We are contaminating our food chain with chemicals that are long-lasting in the environment and harmful to our health. We need to stop this."

Last year I cut small squares of foam from my sons' car seats, our glider rocker and my breastfeeding pillow, wrapped them in foil to prevent contamination and mailed them off to Duke University for chemical analysis.

Late Thursday, three large chemical companies and officials of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a deal to phase out the toxic flame retardant Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca). Deca is heavily used in consumer electronics, furniture, textiles and plastic shipping pallets.

Are you trying to reduce your family's exposure to flame retardants? It's a good idea since they're associated with long-term health effects - especially in children whose developing bodies are more sensitive to chemical exposures. Plus, they're all over your house. We'd like to believe our government is effectively protecting us from toxic chemicals that are increasingly linked to health problems and found in many common household items, but it's not.

Jessica Webb of Healthy Child, Healthy World blogs about an important bill to change to California fire safety standards for baby products, and the chemical industry's efforts to uncut these improvements.