NYTimes BPA Editorial

[TayTay]

This is a wonderful http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/opinion/06sat4.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin">Editorial from the New York Times on the dangers of BPA in plastic containers.

That Plastic Baby Bottle
Published: September 6, 2008

What do you do when one arm of the government says everything is O.K. and another tells you to watch out? That is what is happening with bisphenol-A — a chemical used in many plastics and epoxy resins now found in baby bottles and liners for canned goods. The answer is a truism in every family rulebook — when in doubt, especially when it comes to children, err on the side of caution. That means it is a good idea to keep the young away from bisphenol-A, or BPA.

The Food and Drug Administration said last month that the small amounts of BPA that leach out of containers and into food or milk are not dangerous. Then this week, the National Toxicology Program, the federal agency for toxicological research, reported that their research shows “some concern” about the effects of BPA on the brain development and behavior of fetuses and young children.

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The best effort, however, would be the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. It would require that children’s products are proved safe before they are sold, not — as with BPA — the other way around.

The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3040">S. 3040, was introduced into the Senate on May 27, 2008 by Sen. Frank Lautenburg and was co-sponsored by Sens. Boxer, Clinton, Kerry, Menendez and Whitehouse. It is currently in the Environment and Public Works Committee. This represents landmark legislation to fix holes in the Toxic Substances Control Act that went into effect in the 1970's.

Another bill, http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-2928">S. 2928, was introduced on April 29, 2008 by Sens Schumer and Kerry and specifically seeks to ban bisphenol-A in children's products. It is currently in the Senate Commerce Committee. More on this bill and the dangers of bisphenol-A at http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=296941

Report of the FDA on bisphenol-A: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20080815/bisphenol-a-safe-says-fda

Counter-argument on why BPA is not safe: http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe