WASHINGTON — Moms, a few dads and some children gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday to urge Congress to strengthen the federal government’s powers to regulate harmful chemicals. WASHINGTON — Moms, a few dads and some children gathered at the
WASHINGTON — Moms, a few dads and some children gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday to urge Congress to strengthen the federal government’s powers to regulate harmful chemicals.
The group of almost a hundred activists, which also included registered nurses and cancer survivors, came from across the country to support the Safe Chemicals Act, which if passed by Congress would create a new process to monitor toxic chemicals used in consumer products.
The chemicals, which are common in furniture and baby products, have been shown to be linked to neurological defects, cancer, developmental problems and impaired fertility but do little to protect consumers from fires. The chemical industry has argued for decades that flame retardants saved lives, but its claims were based on a few small studies.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a sponsor of the bill, said at a news conference after he read a series in the Chicago Tribune detailing the risks posed by flame-retarding chemicals, he worried cushioned cradles he had bought for his twin grandchildren could be harming them.
“We’re finding more and more babies and more and more children across America with these chemicals already in their bloodstream,” he said. “How did that happen? It happens every time you sit down on the couch. … When you sit down, you release this fine spray of toxic chemicals right in the face of your baby.”
Under a 1976 law, the EPA has limited powers to investigate the safety of chemicals. Since the law passed, only four chemicals have been pulled from the market for safety reasons.
The new bill would require chemical manufacturers to provide safety information on all their chemicals to the EPA and the public. The EPA would also be required to categorize chemicals by risk level.
