Senator Offering Bill To Ban Widely Used Chemical Amid Rising Alerts

Risk Policy Report
Published April 21, 2008

Coming on the heels of the Canadian government's proposals to ban Bisphenol-A (BPA), the widely used plasticizer chemical, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at press time April 21 was planning to unveil a bill banning the substance, which environmentalists say could be the first step in a major overhaul of chemical industry rules. Schumer announced April 18 that he intended to introduce a bill that would impose a widespread ban on BPA-related plastics. It would prohibit their use in all children's products as well as any product used to carry food or beverages for adults, according to a story in the New York Times. In response to Schumer's announcement, the Environmental Working Group said in a statement April 18 that "legislation to ban BPA from commerce would be a significant first step to a fundamental overhaul of the nation's federal regulatory process of the chemical industry." The group's comments echo arguments from other environmentalists that pending legislation to overhaul Consumer Products Safety Commission rules governing toxic products highlights the need to significantly strengthen EPA's rules requiring industry to determine the toxicity of their chemicals before they enter the marketplace (Risk Policy Report, April 15, p6). The chemical industry, through its trade group the American Chemistry Council (ACC), said in a statement that the Canadian proposal shows the low risks from exposure to the chemical and downplayed the need to ban plastic products containing the chemical. "The weight of scientific evidence, as assessed by Health Canada and other agencies around the world, provides reassurance that consumers can continue to safely use products made from bisphenol A," stated Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D., of ACC's Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group. "Consumer products made from polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, including products for infants and children, are accepted as safe for use, and used, around the world." The Canadian announcement and Schumer's follow-up come amid growing concerns in the chemical industry about state efforts to ban products containing chemicals of concern (Risk Policy Report, March 25, p7). And in more bad news for the industry, the National Toxicology Program earlier last week issued a draft assessment of BPA that shows harms at low levels of exposure, contradicting the findings of another advisory panel and pointing to the likelihood that the BPA controversy will continue to escalate.