Toxics Bills pass NYS Assembly - Now on to Senate

May 5th was Earth Day Lobby Day, and the New York State Assembly passed all 12 environmental bills in their Earth Day package.

New York's BPA bill (Assembly Bill 6919b) passed 133 - 12, the E-waste bill (A. 7571) passed 121 - 22, and the exciting story of the day was the decaBDE victory. The bill (A. 7573) passed 141 - 2, after weeks of intense negative lobbying by the bromine industry.

They generated a number of opposition memos. Assemblyman Joseph Saladino challenged the sponsor during debate by raising all of the industry arguments.

In response,Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, the deca bill sponsor, was - as expected - a powerful and articulate champion for the bill.

He blocked the industry message knowledgeably and effectively at every turn, explaining results from other state government studies (pdf), and reading the list ofbill supporters (pdf) and companies (pdf) that no longer use deca. His effort to explain known health effects and the widespread use of safer alternatives was crucial to the bill’s passage. Industry worked to get as many 'no' votes as possible, but only managed to secure two (only Assemblyman Mark Schroeder joined Assemblyman Saladino).

Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples, an environmental health and justice champion, thanked the sponsor for introducing the bill, and noted that after all the learning disabilities and other harm to the developing brain caused by the severe lead poisoning problem in her Buffalo-area district, the last thing we needed was to expose these developing brains to toxic flame retardants.

With three weeks now left in legislative session, the focus for passage of these bills has turned to the Senate, where Senator Adams carries a similar bill, S. 177. We can expect for the bromine industry, and its front group "Citizens For Fire Safety," to continue their pressure to keep this dangerous, unnecessary chemical from being phased out.

What's New?

Suffolk County First in Nation to Ban Toxic Baby Bottles

Suffolk County, New York is poised to be the first governmental body in the nation to forbid the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups made from the toxic chemical bisphenol A. The Suffolk County Legislature passed the “Toxin Free Toddlers and Babies Act” this March, and it was signed by County Executive Levy.

The bill, Intro 1017, was introduced by Legislator Steve Stern (Huntington) in January. JustGreen Partners , including Huntington Breast Cancer Coalition, Clean New York, Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, NYPIRG, and the Learning Disabilities Association of NYS testified in support.

BPA has been known since the 1930s to mimic the hormone estrogen. In recent decades, scientists have documented health problems when their subjects - animals ranging from mice and rats to primates - were exposed to BPA at levels similar or lower than those already in more than 90% of Americans (as documented by the CDC ).

The health effects identified through this research include infertility, obesity, diabetes, breast cancer, damage to the brain (from fetal development through adulthood), ADHD and behavioral changes, and prostate cancer. (Over 335 peer- reviewed, published studies on low-level BPA exposures were published through April 2008; 81% found health changes.) In a recent expose on industry interference with regulation of BPA, it was revealed that 91% of independently funded studies found health impacts, while none of the 14 industry-funded studies did.

Taskforce on Flame Retardant Safety Convenes

Four years late is better than never! Mandated in the 2004 law that formally banned two toxic flame retardants, penta- and octa-BDE, the "New York State Taskforce on Flame Retardant Safety" is charged with evaluating the dangers posed by decaBDE held its first meeting on September 11, 2008.  Kathy Curtis was appointed to the Taskforce, which also includes academics, medical professionals, firefighters and bromine industry representatives.  See the full list here.

     Learn more about Clean New York's campaign to phase out decaBDE. 
     Take action now!

Young Children in U.S. Among World's Most Contaminated With Fire Retardants

In the first nationwide investigation of chemical fire retardants in parents and their children, Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that toddlers and pre-schoolers typically had 3 times more of the neurotoxic compounds in their blood as their mothers. The study suggests that U.S. children 1 to 4 years of age bear the heaviest burden of flame retardant contamination in the industrialized world. Clean New York co-released the report, with quotes from Assemblyman David Koon and Learning Disabilities Association staffer Heather Loukmas, both of whom had their bodies tested in last year's Is It In Us? project.
 
     See the news coverage at "In the News".  
     Read the full report.

Is Your Car Toxic? 

Clean New York co-released the Ecology Center's 2nd annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.   Over 200 of the most popular 2008- and 2009-model vehicles and over 60 children's car seats were tested for chemicals that off-gas from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats, and carpet. These chemicals become part of the air we breathe, contributing to "new car smell" and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns. Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential indoor air pollution. Children are the most vulnerable population since their systems are still developing.

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