Committee Approves Bill to Protect Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals
ACHM Announcements - 5/24/2013. AUGUSTA - Today, during their last work session of the year, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the Maine Legislature voted to strengthen Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Act to reduce children’s exposure to BPA and other toxic chemicals in the home. LD 1181, “An Act To Further Protect Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals", sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall (D-Richmond) was amended by the committee and now will head to votes in the Senate and House. |
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Senators Push for Safer Chemicals
Politico - 5/23/2013. By Erica Martinson - A new bill would give the EPA authority to act on dangerous chemicals and to require more scrutiny of chemicals before they reach the market. Currently, in a Catch-22 scenario, EPA can require safety testing only after evidence shows that a chemical is dangerous. |
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How Two College Pals Are Growing A Solution To Our Reliance On Plastic
Fast Company - 5/23/2013. By Patrick James - Six years ago, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre were college friends with a bright idea: using mushrooms and agricultural byproducts to create an alternative to plastic. Now, they’re growing a business that could change almost everything about how we live. |
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Bipartisan Bill Signals Momentum for Chemical Reform
Safer Chemicals Healthy Families - 5/22/2013. Washington, DC – Today, Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and David Vitter (R-LA) jointly introduced the Chemical Safety Improvement Act. The bill, sponsored by eight Democrats and eight Republicans, aims to reform the outdated federal toxics law currently on the books that both industry and public interest groups say has become unworkable. |
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Phthalates - Chemicals Widely Found in Plastics and Processed Food - Linked to Elevated Blood Pressure in Children and Teens
Science Daily - 5/22/2013. Plastic additives known as phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are odorless, colorless and just about everywhere: They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach balls, plastic wrap, intravenous tubing and - according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - the bodies of most Americans. Once perceived as harmless, phthalates have come under increasing scrutiny. A growing collection of evidence suggests dietary exposure to phthalates (which can leech from packaging and mix with food) may cause significant metabolic and hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development. New research published this Wednesday in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain types of phthalates could pose another risk to children: compromised heart health. |
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Maine needs greater disclosure about toxins in toys
Bangor Daily News - 5/21/2013. Op-Ed by Morgan Pottle Urquhart - I have a three-year-old son who adores Matchbox cars. He has carried them around with him all day, nearly every day, for almost a year. My son’s most treasured possessions contain mercury at a level that is 30 times higher than what is considered to be a high level of mercury. |
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The best Mother’s Day present: No BPA in food packaging, healthy children
Bangor Daily News - 5/7/2013. Op-Ed by Robin Barstow - Mothers are diverse. There are all kinds of us. We’re tall, we’re short, we’re in between. We’re black, we’re white, we’re brown. We’re funny, we’re serious, we’re sometimes both. We’re rich, we’re poor, we’re in the middle. Some of us love to do the dishes, some of us hate to do the dishes. We’re diverse. And yet, I believe that we all want the same thing this Mother’s Day. Cards are wonderful, flowers are wonderful, chocolate, too, but best of all is healthy children. All women, I believe, want healthy children for Mother’s Day. This is why, as a mother of two young children, I support LD 1181, An Act to Further Strengthen the Protection of Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals, sponsored by Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond. |
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